Flag of Laos

Country

Flag of Laos uses horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc. Ratio 2:3, current adoption December 2, 1975 and design credited to Maha Sila Viravong.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Laos
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Lao People's Democratic Republic
Identifier	LA / LAO
Region	South-Eastern Asia

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	December 2, 1975
First Documented Use	1945
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Red, Blue, White
Designer	Maha Sila Viravong
Construction	Horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19
Blue	#002868	0, 40, 104	100, 62, 0, 59
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Red	the blood shed in the struggle for freedom.
Blue	the Mekong River and prosperity.
White	the full moon over the Mekong, and the unity of the people.
White disc	The full moon against the Mekong, and the promise of a bright future — Laos is the only communist-ruled state whose flag carries no red star.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Laos

Horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with horizontal tricolour with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Laos is Red (#CE1126), Blue (#002868) and White (#FFFFFF). 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

White disc: The full moon against the Mekong, and the promise of a bright future — Laos is the only communist-ruled state whose flag carries no red star.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1945. The adoption field for the present record is December 2, 1975. The designer is recorded as Maha Sila Viravong.

Additional flag context

The white disc represents the moon over the Mekong, and the blue band it sits on is twice the height of each red band.

The flag was originally the banner of the Lao independence movement and replaced a royal flag with a three-headed elephant in 1975.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc, a 2:3 proportion and the visible white disc. 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 — Laos — Specialist vexillological reference

Other horizontal tricolour with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Laos

Laos is recorded as horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc.
The reference proportion for the flag of Laos is 2:3.
The stored palette for Laos contains Red, Blue and White.
The adoption field for this country flag record is December 2, 1975.
The design record traces first use to 1945.
Maha Sila Viravong is credited in the dataset as the designer of the flag.
Its construction is grouped with the horizontal tricolour with a central emblem design family in this library.
White disc: The full moon against the Mekong, and the promise of a bright future — Laos is the only communist-ruled state whose flag carries no red star.
The white disc represents the moon over the Mekong, and the blue band it sits on is twice the height of each red band.
The flag was originally the banner of the Lao independence movement and replaced a royal flag with a three-headed elephant in 1975.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Laos

What does the flag of Laos look like?

Horizontal triband with a double-width blue band and white disc, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Laos?

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

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Laos?

The reference palette lists Red #CE1126, Blue #002868 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Laos represent?

White disc — The full moon against the Mekong, and the promise of a bright future — Laos is the only communist-ruled state whose flag carries no red star.

When was the present flag record for Laos adopted?

The adoption field in this record is December 2, 1975.

Who designed the flag of Laos?

The designer is recorded as Maha Sila Viravong.

Which design family does the flag of Laos belong to?

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