Flag of Laos

What the flag looks like

Three horizontal bands of red, blue and red, with the blue band twice as tall as each red one, and a white disc in the center.

What it means

Red represents the blood shed for independence and blue the prosperity of the country; the white disc is a full moon over the Mekong River and symbolises the unity of the people.

How to remember it

Laos is a white full moon rising over the blue Mekong between red banks; Thailand has no disc, and Cambodia has a temple instead.

Fun facts

• The design was first used by the Lao Issara independence movement in 1945.
• It is one of the few flags of a communist state with no star or hammer and sickle.
• Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in history, from the 1964–1973 air campaign.

Laos at a glance

Capital

Vientiane

Region

South-Eastern Asia

Population

7.8 million

Area

236,800 km²

Languages

Lao

Currency

Lao kip (₭)

Flag adopted

1975

Flags often confused with Laos

• Thailand: Laos and Thailand both have red outer bands and a wide blue center band. Laos has a white disc on the blue; Thailand has no disc but thin white stripes on each side of the blue.
• Cambodia: Cambodia and Laos both have three horizontal bands of red and blue. Cambodia is blue-red-blue with the white Angkor Wat temple; Laos is red-blue-red with a plain white disc.