Flag of France

Country

Flag of France uses vertical tricolour. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption February 15, 1794.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of France
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	French Republic
Identifier	FR / FRA
Region	Western Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	February 15, 1794
First Documented Use	1790
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, White, Red
Construction	Vertical tricolour
Common Name	Le Tricolore

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue	#000091	0, 0, 145	100, 100, 0, 43
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#E1000F	225, 0, 15	0, 100, 93, 12

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the colour of Saint Martin and of Paris.
White	the monarchy and the House of Bourbon.
Red	the colour of Saint Denis and the Paris militia.
Origin	The white of the king placed between the red and blue of Paris, made into a cockade in 1789 — the model for tricolour flags worldwide.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of France

Vertical tricolour The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with vertical tricolour designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for France is Blue (#000091), White (#FFFFFF) and Red (#E1000F). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Origin: The white of the king placed between the red and blue of Paris, made into a cockade in 1789 — the model for tricolour flags worldwide.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1790. The adoption field for the present record is February 15, 1794.

Additional flag context

The tricolour combines the white of the Bourbon monarchy with the red and blue of Paris, a combination first worn as a cockade in 1789.

The bands were originally unequal in width to compensate for the visual effect of the flag flying; they were equalised in 1853 and remain so.

The shade of blue was lightened in 1976 for television, then returned to the darker navy in 2020 by presidential decision — a change made quietly and noticed only later.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Vertical tricolour, a 2:3 proportion and the visible origin. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — France — Specialist vexillological reference

Other vertical tricolour flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of France

France is recorded as vertical tricolour.
The reference proportion for the flag of France is 2:3.
The stored palette for France contains Blue, White and Red.
The adoption field for this country flag record is February 15, 1794.
The design record traces first use to 1790.
Its construction is grouped with the vertical tricolour design family in this library.
Origin: The white of the king placed between the red and blue of Paris, made into a cockade in 1789 — the model for tricolour flags worldwide.
The tricolour combines the white of the Bourbon monarchy with the red and blue of Paris, a combination first worn as a cockade in 1789.
The bands were originally unequal in width to compensate for the visual effect of the flag flying; they were equalised in 1853 and remain so.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of France

What does the flag of France look like?

Vertical tricolour, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of France?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of France?

The reference palette lists Blue #000091, White #FFFFFF and Red #E1000F.

What do the symbols on the flag of France represent?

Origin — The white of the king placed between the red and blue of Paris, made into a cockade in 1789 — the model for tricolour flags worldwide.

When was the present flag record for France adopted?

The adoption field in this record is February 15, 1794.

Which design family does the flag of France belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with vertical tricolour designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of France?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.