The flag of the Principality of Andorra, one of its three official symbols recognised in its Constitution, together with its national anthem and its coat of arms, is once again the motif chosen for this year’s Basic Series stamps.
On this occasion, miniatures of the Principality’s national coat of arms has been added to the traditional design with a plain background to give it a more modern and dynamic image.
The flag of the Principality of Andorra consists of three vertical bands in blue, yellow and red, with the coat of arms of the Principality placed in the centre. The colours of this flag, first used in 1866, combine the French and Catalan flags.
Before this year a bicolour ensign was used, in red and yellow, featuring the colours of the county of Foix and Catalonia.
Napoleon III endowed Andorra with an official flag and added the blue band to reflect French sovereignty.
From 1931 to 1939 the flag was used with vertical or horizontal bands, the latter without the coat of arms; the vertical bands recalling the flag of the French Republic, and the horizontal bands the flag of the Spanish Republic.
From 1939 the flag most used officially had vertical bands and a more elaborate escutcheon, in order to differentiate it from other flags with the same tricolour combination. In 1971 it was established as an official flag.
Finally, with the approval of the Constitution in 1993 and the country’s entry into the United Nations in 1994, the current format of the flag was established.
