Flag of France
Official Palette
Symbolism
The blue and red colors are the traditional colors of Paris, used on the city's coat of arms. White is the color of the House of Bourbon, which ruled France for centuries. The tricolor represents the union of the people with the monarchy, though today it is primarily seen as a symbol of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
History
The 'Drapeau Tricolore' was born during the French Revolution of 1789. It was designed by the Marquis de Lafayette, who combined the white of the king with the blue and red of the Paris militia.
Construction
The flag is a vertical tricolor with a 2:3 ratio. While the stripes appear equal, they are often manufactured with a 30:33:37 proportion (Blue being the narrowest) for maritime use to make them look equal when flying in the wind.
Color Meanings
Country Facts
- Population
- 66.7M
7.1% of Europe
- Capital
- Paris
- Languages
- French
- Continent
- Europe
- Landlocked
- No
- Borders
- ISO 3166-1
- FR
Flag Identification
- Adopted
- February 15, 1794
- Designer
- Marquis de Lafayette
- Proportions
2:3 (≈1.500)
- Total Colors
- 3
- Primary Layout
- Vertical bands
Influences
Flags with resemblance
Visually close designs — compare colors and emblems, or try similarities mode.
Related flags
Flag Protocol
- The bands are often adjusted in width for maritime use to appear equal
- Must be respected as a global symbol of revolution and liberty
Practice
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