<P> The flags of Romania and Chad are identical aside from the blue strip on the left, which is slightly darker in the Chadian flag . Romania used the flag from 1866, while in that form appeared for the first time in Wallachia, being officially in use in 1848 . Chad began to use its present flag in 1960, after it achieved independence from France . At that time, the Chad and Romanian flags were distinguishable by the latter's inclusion of the Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania at the Romanian flag's centre . However, in 1989, the coat of arms was removed entirely after the revolution which overthrew Nicolae Ceaușescu . </P> <P> In 2004, there were unconfirmed media reports that Chad had called on the United Nations to look into the issue, prompting then - Romanian president Ion Iliescu to make a public statement that his country would not give up the flag . BBC News quoted Iliescu as stating that "The tricolour belongs to us . We will not give up the tricolour ." </P>

Why does chad have the same flag as romania