The national flag of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Ireland and others are also so known. The design was adopted after the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

; while not the first tricolour, it became one of the most influential flags in history. The tricolour scheme was later adopted by many other nations in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and elsewhere, and, according to the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'' has historically stood "in symbolic opposition to the autocratic and clericalist royal standards of the past". Before the tricolour was adopted the royal government used many flags, the best known being a blue shield and gold fleur-de-lis (the Royal Arms of France) on a white background, or state flag. Early in the French Revolution, the Paris militia, which played a prominent role in the storming of the Bastille, wore a

cockade A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat or cap. Eighteenth century In the 18th and 19th centuries, coloured cockades were used in Europe to show the allegi ...

of blue and red, the city's traditional colours. According to French general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, white was the "ancient French colour" and was added to the militia cockade to form a tricolour, or national, cockade of France.Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Lafayette (marquis de), ''Memoirs, correspondence and manuscripts of General Lafayette,'' vol. 2, p. 252. This cockade became part of the uniform of the National Guard, which succeeded the militia and was commanded by Lafayette. The colours and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolour flag, adopted in 1790, originally with the red nearest to the flagpole and the blue farthest from it. A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794. The royal white flag was used during the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

from 1815 to 1830; the tricolour was brought back after the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first in 1789. It led to ...

and has been used since then, except for an interruption for a few days in 1848. Since 1976, there have been two versions of the flag in varying levels of use by the state: the original (identifiable by its use of navy blue) and one with a lighter shade of blue. Since 2020, France has used the older variant by default, including at the Élysée Palace.

Design

Article 2 of the French constitution of 1958 states that "the national emblem is the tricolour flag, blue, white, red". No law has specified the shades of these official colours. In English

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

, the flag is described as ''tierced in pale azure, argent and gules.'' The blue stripe has usually been a dark navy blue; a lighter blue (and slightly lighter red) version was introduced in 1974 by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Both versions were used from then; town halls, public buildings and barracks usually fly the darker version of the flag, but the lighter version was sometimes used even on official State buildings. On 13 July 2020, President Emmanuel Macron reverted, without any statement and with no orders for other institutions to use a specific version, to the darker hue for the presidential Élysée Palace, as a symbol of the French Revolution. The move was met with comments both in favour of and against the change, but it was noted that both the darker and lighter flags have been in use for decades. Flag of France (colour shade comparison) 063712

Flag of France (colour shade comparison) 063712

Currently, the flag is one and a half times wider than its height (i.e. in the proportion 2:3) and, except in the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

, has stripes of equal width. Initially, the three stripes of the flag were not equally wide, being in the proportions 30 (blue), 33 (white) and 37 (red). Under

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, the proportions were changed to make the stripes' width equal, but by a regulation dated 17 May 1853, the navy went back to using the 30:33:37 proportions, which it now continues to use, as the flapping of the flag makes portions farther from the halyard seem smaller. Drapeau France Télévision

On French television interviews a flag with a much narrower white stripe is often used as a backdrop; a standard flag would show, close up, as only white.

Symbolism

Blue and red are the traditional colours of Paris, used on the city's coat of arms. Blue is identified with Saint Martin, red with Saint Denis. At the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the Paris militia wore blue and red cockades on their hats. White had long featured prominently on French flags and is described as the "ancient French colour" by Lafayette. White was added to the "revolutionary" colours of the militia cockade to "nationalise" the design, thus forming the cockade of France. Although Lafayette identified the white stripe with the nation, other accounts identify it with the monarchy. Lafayette denied that the flag contains any reference to the red-and-white livery of the Duc d'Orléans. Despite this, Orléanists adopted the tricolour as their own. Blue and red are associated with the Virgin Mary, the patroness of France, and were the colours of the

oriflamme The Oriflamme (from Latin ''aurea flamma'', "golden flame"), a pointed, blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance, was the battle standard of the King of France in the Middle Ages. The oriflamme originated as the sacred banner of the Abbey of S ...

. The colours of the French flag may also represent the three main

estates Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representati ...

of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

(the clergy: white, the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

: red and the bourgeoisie: blue). Blue, as the symbol of class, comes first and red, representing the nobility, comes last. Both extreme colours are situated on each side of white referring to a superior order. Lafayette's cockade of France was adopted in July 1789, a moment of national unity that soon faded. Royalists began wearing white cockades and flying white flags, while the Jacobins, and later the Socialists, flew the red flag. The tricolour, which combines royalist white with republican red, came to be seen as a symbol of moderation and of a nationalism that transcended factionalism. The French government website states that the white field was the colour of the king, while blue and red were the colours of Paris. The three colours are occasionally taken to represent the three elements of the revolutionary motto, ''liberté'' (freedom: blue), ''égalité'' (equality: white), ''fraternité'' (brotherhood: red); this symbolism was referenced in Krzysztof Kieślowski's three colours film trilogy, for example. In the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks, many famous landmarks and stadiums were illuminated in the flag colours to honour the victims.

History

Kingdom of France

During the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the

, the flag of Saint Denis, was used—red, with two, three, or five spikes. Originally, it was the royal banner under the Capetians. It was stored in Saint-Denis abbey, where it was taken when war broke out. French kings went forth into battle preceded either by Saint Martin's red cape, which was supposed to protect the monarch, or by the red banner of Saint Denis. Later during the Middle Ages, these colours came to be associated with the reigning house of France. In 1328, the coat-of-arms of the House of Valois was blue with gold

fleurs-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

bordered in red. From this time on, the kings of France were represented in vignettes and manuscripts wearing a red gown under a blue coat decorated with gold fleurs-de-lis. During the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

, England was recognised by a red cross; Burgundy, a red saltire; and France, a white cross. This cross could figure either on a blue or a red field. The blue field eventually became the common standard for French armies. The French regiments were later assigned the white cross as standard, with their proper colours in the cantons. The French flag of a white cross on a blue field is still seen on some flags derived from it, such as those of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

and

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

. The flag of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

during the Hundred Years' War is described in her own words, "I had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies; the world was painted there, with an angel at each side; it was white of the white cloth called 'boccassin'; there was written above it, I believe, 'JHESUS MARIA'; it was fringed with silk."Whitney Smith, ''Flags through the ages and across the world'', McGraw-Hill, England, 1975 , pp. 66–67, The Standard of Joan of Arc, after quoting her from her trial transcript he states: "it was her influence which determined that white should serve as the principal French national colour from shortly after her death in 1431 until the French Revolution almost 350 years later." Joan's standard led to the prominent use of white on later French flags. From the accession of the Bourbons to the throne of France, the green ensign of the navy became a plain white flag, the symbol of purity and royal authority. The merchant navy was assigned "the old flag of the nation of France", the white cross on a blue field. There also was a red jack for the French galleys. The Kingdom of France flag consists of a white banner with 86 Fleur-de-lis and their Coat of Arms or without. (Variant) File:Oriflamme.svg, The

Oriflamme The Oriflamme (from Latin ''aurea flamma'', "golden flame"), a pointed, blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance, was the battle standard of the King of France in the Middle Ages. The oriflamme originated as the sacred banner of the Abbey of S ...

, the banner of the Capetians File:Flag of France (XII-XIII).svg, Flag of France under the Capetian Dynasty since the twelfth century File:Flag of France (XIV-XVI).svg, Flag of France under the Capetian dynasty since the fourteenth century File:Pavillon royal de la France.svg, The Royal Banner of France or "Bourbon Flag". The House of Bourbon ruled France from 1589 to 1792 and again from 1815 to 1848. File:Royal Standard of the King of France.svg, The Royal Standard of France File:Pavillon royal de France.svg, Variant royal standard of France File:Royal Standard of King Louis XIV.svg, Variant royal standard of France File:Royal flag of France during the Bourbon Restoration.svg , The Royal Standard of France

The ''Tricolore''

The tricolour flag is derived from the cockade of France used during the French Revolution. These were circular rosette-like emblems attached to the hat.

Camille Desmoulins Lucie-Simplice-Camille-Benoît Desmoulins (; 2 March 17605 April 1794) was a French journalist and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. Desmoulins was tried and executed alongside Georges Danton when the Committee ...

asked his followers to wear green cockades on 12 July 1789. The Paris militia, formed on 13 July, adopted a blue and red cockade. Blue and red are the traditional colours of Paris, and they are used on the city's coat of arms. Cockades with various colour schemes were used during the storming of the Bastille on 14 July.Crowdy, Terry, ''French Revolutionary Infantry 1789–1802'', p. 42 (2004). The blue and red cockade was presented to King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

at the Hôtel de Ville on 17 July. Lafayette argued for the addition of a white stripe to "nationalise" the design. On 27 July, a tricolour cockade was adopted as part of the uniform of the National Guard, the national police force that succeeded the militia. A ''drapeau tricolore'' with vertical red, white and blue stripes was approved by the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

on 24 October 1790. Simplified designs were used to illustrate how the revolution had broken with the past. The order was reversed to blue-white-red, the current design, by a resolution passed on 15 February 1794. When the

Bourbon dynasty The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

was restored following the defeat of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

in 1815, the ''tricolore''—with its revolutionary connotations—was replaced by a white flag, the pre-revolutionary naval flag. However, following the

of 1830, the "citizen-king", Louis-Philippe, restored the ''tricolore'', and it has remained France's national flag since that time. Following the overthrow of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

, voters elected a royalist majority to the National Assembly of the new Third Republic. This parliament then offered the throne to the Bourbon pretender, Henri, Comte de Chambord. However, he insisted that he would accept the throne only on the condition that the tricolour be replaced by the white flag. As the tricolour had become a cherished national symbol, this demand proved impossible to accommodate. Plans to restore the monarchy were adjourned and ultimately dropped, and France has remained a republic, with the tricolour flag, ever since. The Vichy régime, which dropped the word "republic" in favour of "the French state", maintained the use of the ''tricolore'', but Philippe Pétain used as his personal standard a version of the flag with, in the white stripe, an axe made with a star-studded marshal's

baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conductin ...

. This axe is called the "Francisque" in reference to the ancient Frankish throwing axe. During this same period, the Free French Forces used a ''tricolore'' with, in the white stripe, a red Cross of Lorraine. The constitutions of 1946 and 1958 instituted the "blue, white, and red" flag as the national emblem of the Republic. The colours of the national flag are occasionally said to represent different flowers; blue represents cornflowers, white represents marguerites, and red represents poppies. File:Flag of Paris.svg, The flag of Paris, source of the tricolour's blue and red stripes File:The french tricolor cockade.svg, The cockade of France, designed in July 1789. White was added to "nationalise" an earlier blue and red design. File:Flag of France (1790–1794).svg, The flag of France used from 1790 until 1794 File:Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1974, 2020–present).svg, The flag of France used from 1794 (interrupted in 1815–1830 and in 1848) File:Drapeau france 1848.svg, The

French Second Republic The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Re ...

adopted a variant of the tricolour for a few days between 24 February and 5 March 1848. File:Henri d'Artois' Flag of France (proposed).svg, The French ''tricolore'' with the royal crown and fleur-de-lys was possibly designed by the Henri, Count of Chambord, in his younger years as a compromise, but which was never made official, and which he himself rejected when offered the throne in 1870. File:Roundel of France.svg, From 1912 onwards, the French Air Force originated the use of

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of dif ...

s on military aircraft shortly before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Similar national cockades, with different ordering of colours, were later adopted as aircraft roundels by their allies. File:VichyFlag.svg, Personal standard of Philippe Pétain, as Chief of the

Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its t ...

. File:Flag of Free France (1940-1944).svg, Flag used by the Free French Forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

; in the centre is the Cross of Lorraine; later, the personal standard of President

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

, as Chief of the Free France. File:Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1974, 2020–present).svg, The flag of France, darker red and blue variant. File:Flag of France (lighter variant).svg, The flag of France, lighter red and blue variant.

Regimental flags

File:Vigiles du roi Charles VII 32.jpg, The French soldiers started to use white crosses, during the

, to distinguish themselves from the English soldiers wearing red crosses. File:Rég d Auvergne 1635.png, A white-crossed regimental flag during the (here, ') File:Rég de La Sarre 1685.png, Regiment (') File:Rég du Roi 1757.png, King's Regiment (') File:Rég de La Reine 1661.png, Queen's Regiment (') File:Flag of Levis.svg, General ' Regiment Flag in North America. Now official flag of the city of Lévis, Quebec File:Franche de la Marine1.jpg, The pre- revolutionary regimental flags inspired the flag of

(here, the '). File:Grenadier Pied 1 1812 Revers.png, Regimental flag of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard (1812) File:Drapeaux 1RE et 2REI Paris 2003.jpg, Current regimental flags of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the Légion étrangère.

Naval flags

File:Flag of the Kingdom of France (1814-1830).svg, Naval ensign prior to 1789 and 1814–1830. File:Naval Flag of the Kingdom of France (Civil Ensign).svg, The Merchant Flag of France

Colonial flags

Most French colonies either used the regular tricolour or a regional flag without the French flag. There were some exceptions: File:Flag of Colonial Annam.svg, Flag of Tonkin (French protectorate) and Annam in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

File:Flag of French Laos.svg, Flag of

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

in French Indochina File:Flag of Tay Dam.png, Flag of the Sip Song Chau Tai, French Indochina (1948–1955) File:Flag of French Sudan.svg, Flag of French Sudan (1958–1959), present-day

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

File:Flag of Togo (1957-1958).svg, Flag of French Togoland (1916–1960), present-day

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

File:Flag of Gabon 1959-1960.svg,

Flag of Gabon The flag of Gabon (french: drapeau du Gabon) is a tricolour consisting of three horizontal green, yellow and blue bands. Adopted in 1960 to replace the previous colonial flag containing the French Tricolour at the canton, it has been the flag of ...

(1959–1960) File:Flag of the Madagascar Protectorate (1885-1896).svg, Flag of Madagascar under French protection (1885–1895) File:Merchant flag of French Morocco.svg, Merchant flag of the French protectorate of Morocco (1912–1956) File:Flag of French Tunisia.svg, Flag used by some military units based in the French protectorate of Tunisia File:Flag of the French Mandate of Syria (1920).svg, Briefly used flag of the French Mandate of Syria in 1920 File:Flag of the State of Aleppo.svg, Flag of the State of Aleppo, in the French Mandate of Syria (1920–1924) File:Flag of the State of Damascus.svg, Flag of the State of Damascus, in the French Mandate of Syria (1920–1924) File:Flag of Syria French mandate.svg, Flag of the State of Syria, in the French Mandate of Syria (1924–1930) File:Latakiya-sanjak-Alawite-state-French-colonial-flag.svg, Flag of the

State of Alawites The Alawite State ( ar, دولة جبل العلويين, '; french: État des Alaouites), officially named the Territory of the Alawites (french: territoire des Alaouites), after the locally-dominant Alawites from its inception until its int ...

, in the French Mandate of Syria File:Flag of Jabal ad-Druze (state).svg, Flag of Jabal ad-Druze, in the French Mandate of Syria File:Flag of Lebanon during French Mandate (1920-1943).svg, Flag of the

State of Greater Lebanon The State of Greater Lebanon ( ar, دولة لبنان الكبير, Dawlat Lubnān al-Kabīr; french: État du Grand Liban), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic ( ar, ...

during the French mandate 1920–1943 File:Flag of the Republic of Independent Guyana (1886-1887).svg, Flag of

Republic of Independent Guyana The Republic of Independent Guiana (french: République de la Guyane indépendante) commonly referred to by the name of the capital Counani (rendered "Cunani" in Portuguese by the Brazilians), was a short-lived unrecognized state in South Americ ...

(1886–1887) File:Flag of Saint Barthelemy (local).svg, Unofficial flag of

Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy (french: Saint-Barthélemy, ), officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. It is often abbreviated to St. Barth in French, and St. Barts in Englis ...

File:Flag of Franceville.svg, Flag of

New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides, Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the isla ...

(Vanuatu) under the

Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission The Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission was in charge of the territory of the New Hebrides in the period 1887–1889 and again in 1890–1906. It was briefly suspended by the constitution of the unrecognized independent state of Franceville. His ...

(1887–1906) File:Flag of Uvea (1860).svg, Flag of the French Protectorate of Wallis and Futuna (Uvea) (1860–1886) File:Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg, Present unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna File:Flag of the Society Islands Protectorate.svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Tahiti under the Protectorate of France (1845–1880) File:Drapeau Protectorat Français RuRutu (1858-1889).png, Flag of the French protectorate of Rurutu in French Polynesia (1858–1889) File:Flag of French Polynesia.svg, Flag of French Polynesia File:Flag of Saar (1947–1956).svg, Flag of the French protectorate of

Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name * Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist * Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), E ...

(1947–1956) File:Flag of French Governor in French Colony.svg, Flag of the French colonial governor File:Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.svg, Flag of the

French Southern and Antarctic Lands The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (french: Terres australes et antarctiques françaises, TAAF) is an Overseas Territory (french: Territoire d'outre-mer or ) of France. It consists of: # Adélie Land (), the French claim on the continen ...

File:Flag of Louisiana (January 1861).svg, Unofficial flag of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

(1861)

Other

Many provinces and territories in Canada have French-speaking communities with flags representing their communities: File:Flag of Acadia.svg, The

Acadian flag The flag of Acadia is a symbolic flag representing the Acadian community of Canada. It was adopted on 15 August 1884, at the Second Acadian National Convention held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, by nearly 5,000 Acadian delegates from ...

used in Canada is based on the tricolour flag of France, but this flag was never used during French rule of

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and earl ...

. It was adopted in 1884. Acadians live mainly in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

and

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. File:Flag of Quebec.svg, The current flag of Quebec. The use of blue and white is a characteristic of pre-revolutionary flags. File:Franco-Terreneuviens.svg, Flag of Franco-Newfoundlanders Many areas in North America have substantial French-speaking and ancestral communities: File:Flag of Acadiana.svg, Flag of Acadiana File:Drapeau Franco-Américain.svg, Flag of United Franco-Americans File:Drapeau français-américain.svg, Flag of

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

Franco-Americans File:Drapeau de l'Acadie occidentale.svg, Flag of

Aroostook county Aroostook County ( ; french: Comté d'Aroostook) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. Its county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fort Kent. ...

Franco-Americans File:Drapeau de l'Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Amérique.svg, Flag of

Androscoggin county Androscoggin County (French: ''Comté d'Androscoggin'') is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 111,139. Its county seat is Auburn and its largest city is Lewiston. Androscoggin County com ...

Franco-Americans File:Drapeau de la Louisiane septentrionale.svg, Flag of Illinois Country Franco-Americans File:Flag of Iowa.svg, Flag of

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

File:Flag of New Orleans, Louisiana.svg, Flag of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, Louisiana File:Flag of Mobile, Alabama.png, Flag of Mobile, Alabama

used several flags incorporating both the British Union Flag and the French flag. File:Flag Vanuatu 1963.svg, Flag attested as being used in the 1963 South Pacific Games Flag of New Hebrides.svg, Flag attested as being used in the 1966 and

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...

South Pacific Games Flag of New Hebrides (1969).svg, Dark blue version attested at the time of the 1969 South Pacific Gamespostage stamp New Hebrides Condominium 1F featuring 3rd South Pacific Games Port Moresby 1969 dated 1969
/ref> In the Shanghai International Settlement, the flag of Shanghai Municipal Council has a shield incorporating the French tricolour. File:Flag of the Shanghai International Settlement.svg, Flag of the Shanghai Municipal Council, Shanghai International Settlement Two territories of Vietnam used flags based on the tricolour flag of France. File:Flag of the Montagnard country of South Indochina.svg, Montagnard country (1946–1950) File:Flag of Tai Autonomous Territory.svg,

Tai Autonomous Territory The Sip Song Chau TaiOther spellings include: Sip Song Chau Thai, Sipsong Chuthai, Sipsong Chu Tai, Sip Song Chu Tai, Sipsongchuthai, Sip Song Chu Thai, Sipsong Chau Tai, Sip Song Chao Thai, Sipsong Chao Tai, Sipsongchutai, Sipsong Chao Thai. ("Tw ...

(1946–1950)

Gallery

File:Drapeau du 66.JPG, French regimental flag, Paris, autochrome dated 1918 File:Dieudonné Costes devant le Point d'Interrogation.jpg, Flag of France, color photography dated 1930

Notes

References

Sources

* * *

External links

*
French flag
at Flags Corner {{Navboxes , title = Articles related to the flags of France , list = {{France topics {{Symbols of the French Republic {{FranceFlags {{Subnational flags of France {{French Revolution navbox {{nationalflags {{Flag of Europe {{Six flags of Texas National symbols of France

Articles containing video clips Flags introduced in 1794 Flags introduced in 1830