<Tr> <Th> Adopted </Th> <Td> 23 February 1950 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Design </Th> <Td> A yellow saltire on a white field, bordered above and below in red and to the left and right in black, charged on the top with a crown above crossed cannons and on the bottom by a fouled anchor . </Td> </Tr> <P> The national flag of the kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Vlag van het koninkrijk België, French: Drapeau de la Belgique, German: Flagge Belgiens) is a tricolour of three bands of black, yellow, and red . The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France . When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 13: 15 . </P> <P> After the death of Charlemagne, the present - day territory of Belgium (except the County of Flanders) became part of Lotharingia, which had a flag of two horizontal red stripes separated by a white stripe . The territory then passed into Spanish hands, and after the coronation of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor yellow and red, the colours of Spain, were added . From the 16th century to the end of the 18th century, the colours of what is now Belgium were red, white and yellow . Occasionally the red cross of Burgundy was placed on the white section of the flag . </P>

What countrys flag is black yellow and red