Laotian flag

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The national flag of Laos was adopted on December 2, 1975. The flag had previously been used by the short-lived government of Laos Issara (in Spanish, Laos Libre) from 1945 to 1946, then by the Pathet Lao (in Spanish, Land of Laos).

It is made up of three horizontal bands, the upper and lower ones are vermilion red, while the middle one is blue. At the center is a white disk with a diameter equivalent to 4/5 of the height of the central stripe.

The color red represents the blood shed for independence, blue the Mekong River or the sanctity of the country. The white disk symbolizes the moon over the Mekong River or also the unity of the country under the communist government.

Flag of the Kingdom of Laos

From 1952 to 1975 there was a monarchical system of government, which was overthrown in 1975. The country was represented by a red flag with a three-headed elephant. Above the elephant was a white parasol and the elephant was situated on a pedestal with five steps. The white elephant was the royal symbol used in Southeast Asia, and the three heads represented the three ancient kingdoms of Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Xieng Khuang from which Laos was formed. The white parasol was also a royal symbol, which finds its origins in Mount Meru of Hindu philosophy. The pedestal represents the law on which the country rests.