This is what the color of your passport really means

There is an important reason behind the four standard colors found in passports, but there are also some unusual shades.

Take a closer look at that little rectangular brochure you're holding. Depending on where you're from, its color could tell you a lot about the country you call home.
 
 
While there are no strict international guidelines for passport colors, the shades are not accidental. Countries often choose colors that pay homage to their culture, politics or faith, Claire Burrows of De La Rue, a British passport maker, told The Economist.
 
For example, Islamic countries often use green covers for their passports because the color is important in their religion. Member countries of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) also coat their passports in various shades of green. Members of the European Union, on the other hand, use burgundy passports, as do countries that would like to join the EU, such as Turkey. America tends to march to the beat of its own drum and the tune in your passport is no different. As the country transitioned from beige, green and a variety of reds in the second half of the 20th century, it finally settled on blue in 1976. As for the shade? It matches the blue of the American flag, according to The Economist. Citizens of many Caribbean and South American countries, including Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, also have blue passports.
 
And we're not even close to the end! Even the smallest organizations have their own passport colours. Interpol supplies its members with black travel documents, while the pacific blue of the UN passport matches the helmets of its peacekeepers.
 
But why all the dark shades? According to Bill Waldron of Holliston, a Tennessee-based passport printing company, darker colors are preferred because they can hide dirt, provide a good contrast to the shield, and appear more official. There are some exceptions, of course. If you are a Swedish citizen who has lost your passport, the country will send you an emergency travel document, in pink.

Sources:

• Economist.com. Hue and cry.
• Travelandleisure.com.
• rd.com