Asia · LA / LAO
Flag of Laos
The Laos flag has two red stripes at the top and bottom, a wide blue stripe between them and a white disc in the center. It was designed in 1945 for the Lao Issara government and became the national flag in 1975.
What the flag of Laos looks like
The Laotian flag is a horizontal triband. The two red stripes at the top and bottom are each a quarter of the flag's height, and the blue stripe in the middle takes up the other half. A white disc sits in the center of the blue stripe. Its diameter is about four fifths of the height of the blue stripe, so there is a little blue visible above and below it. The ratio of the flag is 2:3.
There is no text or emblem. The simple design makes the flag easy to recognize, though it is sometimes confused with the flags of other Asian countries with red and blue, such as Thailand, which has five stripes and no disc. The Laos flag emoji shows the same disc on the blue band.
Laos flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#CE1126RGB
206, 17, 38CMYK
0, 92, 82, 19HEX
#002868RGB
0, 40, 104CMYK
100, 62, 0, 59HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0Laos flag meaning and symbolism
The red stripes stand for the blood shed by the Lao people on both banks of the Mekong River in their struggle for freedom and independence from the French. The blue stripe stands for the Mekong River itself, a symbol of the nation's prosperity.
According to the flag's creator, Maha Sila Viravong, the white disc symbolizes the unity of the Lao people under one nation, and the future reunification of the regions divided by the Mekong. It is also said to represent a full moon over the Mekong River, and the flag's Lao name means "Moon flag".
History of the Lao flag
The flag was designed in 1945 by Maha Sila Viravong, a scholar and member of the Lao Issara ("Free Lao") movement, who was asked to create a flag distinct from the royalist red flag with a white three-headed elephant. He drew inspiration from Thailand's 1917 adoption of a red, white and blue tricolor. After the Lao Issara government adopted the first Lao constitution on 12 October 1945, the flag was selected as its national flag, and it lasted until French control was reasserted in 1946. The Lao Issara kept using it in exile until the movement dissolved in 1949.
Its communist-led successor, the Pathet Lao, kept Viravong's flag as its own. From 1952 until 1975 the royal government's flag was red with a white three-headed elephant (representing the Hindu god Erawan) under a nine-folded umbrella, standing on a five-level pedestal.
When the Pathet Lao took power in 1975 and the monarchy ended, the red-blue-red flag was adopted as the national flag of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and it has not changed since. The old royal elephant flag is no longer official, but it is still used by the Royal Lao Government in Exile and by Laotian opposition groups.
Where Laos is and the neighbors' flags
Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Compare it with Vietnam, which flies a red flag with a yellow star, or browse the flags of Asia.
Laos flag facts
| Country | Laos |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | December 2, 1975 |
| Proportions | 2:3 |
| Colors | #CE1126, #002868, #FFFFFF |
| Symbols | roundel |
| Flag emoji | 🇱🇦 |
| Country code | LA, LAO (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Vientiane |
| Continent | Asia |
| Population | 6,858,160 |
| Area | 236,800 km² |
| Currency | Lao kip |
| National anthem | Pheng Xat Lao |
Laos flag: frequently asked questions
What does the Laos flag mean?
Red stands for the blood shed for independence, blue for the Mekong River and the country's prosperity, and the white disc for the unity of the Lao people, and also for a full moon over the Mekong.
Why did they change the Laos flag?
The royal flag with the three-headed elephant was replaced in 1975, when the Pathet Lao took power and the monarchy ended. The new state adopted the red-blue-red flag, which had been designed in 1945.
What is the old Laos flag?
The old royal flag was red with a white three-headed elephant under a nine-folded umbrella, standing on a five-level pedestal. It was the flag from 1952 until 1975.
What was Laos used to be called?
Before independence, Laos was part of French Indochina. Its historic kingdom was called Lan Xang, "Land of a Million Elephants".
Is Laos in Asia?
Yes. Laos is a landlocked country in mainland Southeast Asia and is a member of ASEAN. Its capital is Vientiane.
What was the original flag of Laos?
The current red-blue-red design is actually the oldest: Maha Sila Viravong designed it in 1945 for the Lao Issara government. After the French returned in 1946, a royal red flag with a white three-headed elephant was used, officially from 1952 to 1975, until the flag of 1945 returned.
What is the difference between the Laos and Cambodia flags?
The Laos flag has red, blue and red horizontal stripes with a white disc in the middle. The Cambodia flag has blue, red and blue stripes with a white drawing of Angkor Wat in the red band. Both have a wide center band, but the colors and symbols differ.
Why is the Laos flag called the Moon flag?
Its Lao name, thung duang duan, means "Moon flag". The white disc in the middle is said to represent a full moon over the Mekong River, which is the blue stripe. The disc also stands for the unity of the Lao people under one nation.
