When to travel overseas to carry a passport, have you ever thought about the color of the cover of your passport? Why is the color of the cover of the passports of foreign nationals is different from the cover of your passport? It turned out that the passport cover color selection is not simple. A lot of things behind the determination of the color of the cover of the passport.
Hrant Boghossian explain why passport only has four cover colors, namely red, blue, green, and black. “Most of the passports in the world based on the primary colors of blue and red, although there are variations of color,” said Boghossian who is also vice president of Arton Group, a company that handles the passport database.
Rules on the display passports, including the size and format is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). But there is no rule that set the color of its cover. According Boghossian, passport cover color selection is influenced by a country’s national identity. Of geography, politics, and even religion also plays a role in determining the color of the cover of the passport.
Passport red-typically used by European Union countries. “Many people think that red is used for communist history in the past,” said Boghossian. The red color is also used in countries outside of Europe such as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
While blue is usually selected by the countries in the Caribbean which is included in the Caricom (Caribbean Community and Common Market), also used by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Cover blue passport symbolized the possibility of a “New World” for countries in North America, South America, and Oceania.
Cover US passport also use navy blue since 1976 to adjust the color of the flag of the United States. Previously, the United States wear red for the cover of his first passport. Then replaced with the color green in the 1930s. And in 1970 was replaced by the red and black colors. Navy blue last changed until now.
Green passport has been used mostly in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Morocco. The wide variety of green color is also used by member countries COWAS (Community of West African States), including Nigeria and Senegal.
“Most Islamic countries use the color green because green passport is very important in their religion,” said Boghossian.
The green color is believed to be the favorite color of the Prophet Muhammad, and as a symbol of nature and life. The green color is also widely used as a color flag in many Islamic countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.
While black passport been bound by Zambia and the Republic of Botswana because black is regarded as the color of their country. New Zealand passport wearing a black bound for practical reasons, because the black color reflects the official view.