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Flag of France

Europe

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Quick Facts

Capital
Paris
Flag adopted
1794
Population
66,351,959
Area
543,908 km²
Languages
French
Currency
euro (€) — EUR
Demonym
French
Government
semi-presidential republic
Subregion
Western Europe
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC-10:00, UTC-09:30 +12 more
Independence
1789

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 47%
  • None 33%
  • Unspecified 9%
  • Muslim 4%
  • Protestant 2%
  • Buddhist 2%
  • Orthodox 1%
  • Jewish 1%
  • Other 1%

About This Flag

The French Tricolore consists of three equal vertical bands of blue on the hoist side, white in the center, and red on the fly side. Blue and red are the traditional heraldic colors of Paris, drawn from the cockade worn by revolutionaries, while white was the color of the Bourbon monarchy — their combination symbolized the union of the king with the people during the French Revolution.

The flag was adopted on February 15, 1794, during the Revolution, and has been the national flag (with brief interruptions during the Restoration) ever since. The Tricolore's design has profoundly influenced flag design worldwide, inspiring the tricolors of Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, and many other nations.

What the colors & design mean

Blue and red are the traditional colors of Paris, representing the city's people. White was the royal color of the Bourbon dynasty. Together they symbolize the union of the monarchy with the people during the Revolution, and are associated with the national motto: Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.

blue white red

Pattern: Vertical Stripes

Bordering countries (8)

🇦🇩 Andorra 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇪 Germany 🇮🇹 Italy 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇲🇨 Monaco 🇪🇸 Spain 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Fun Facts

  • In 2020, President Emmanuel Macron quietly changed the blue stripe back to a darker navy blue (the pre-1976 shade), moving away from the brighter 'reflex blue' introduced by President Giscard d'Estaing — the change was not publicly announced for months.
  • The Tricolore was so influential that the vertical tricolor format it popularized has been adopted by dozens of nations, making the French Revolution one of the most impactful events in vexillological history.
  • During the Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830), the white flag of the monarchy briefly replaced the Tricolore, but the July Revolution of 1830 permanently restored it.
  • Lafayette reportedly presented the red-white-blue cockade to King Louis XVI in 1789, saying 'I bring Your Majesty a new cockade' — effectively merging the colors of Paris with the royal white.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇫🇷 Cape Verde 🇫🇷 Liberia 🇫🇷 Cambodia 🇫🇷 Laos 🇫🇷 North Korea

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