Flag of Vietnam

What the flag looks like

A red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center.

What it means

Red stands for revolution and the blood shed for independence; the five points of the star represent intellectuals, farmers, workers, businesspeople and soldiers.

How to remember it

Vietnam is a single big yellow star in the center of red; China moves its star to the corner and adds four small ones.

Fun facts

• The flag was first used in 1940 in an uprising in southern Vietnam and became the flag of the reunified country in 1976.
• Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers in the world, second only to Brazil.

Vietnam at a glance

Capital

Hanoi

Region

South-Eastern Asia

Population

101 million

Area

331,212 km²

Languages

Vietnamese

Currency

Vietnamese đồng (₫)

Flag adopted

1976

Flags often confused with Vietnam

• China: China and Vietnam are both red with yellow stars. Vietnam has one large star in the center; China has one large star and four small ones in the upper-left corner.
• Morocco: Morocco and Vietnam both have a five-pointed star on a red field. Vietnam's star is solid yellow; Morocco's is a green outline of interlaced lines.