List of flags of French Indochina Facts for Kids

A poster from 1942 showing the French and Annamite flags.

This article shows the different flags used in French Indochina from 1859 to 1945. French Indochina was a group of lands in Southeast Asia controlled by France. These lands included modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Each area had its own flags, along with the main French flags.

Union Flags (French Influence)
- Government Flags
- Military Flags
Flags of the Regions
Organizations
See also

Union Flags (French Influence)

These flags were used by the French government and military in Indochina. They often showed the strong connection to France.

Government Flags

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1887 to 1945	Main flag for the state and civilian ships	A flag with three vertical stripes: blue, white, and red.
1867 to 1945	Flag for the governor of the colony	A blue flag with a swallowtail shape. It had the French blue, white, and red stripes on the left side.
1923 to 1945	Flag for civilian and navy ships in Indochina	A yellow flag with a swallowtail shape. It had the French blue, white, and red stripes on the left side.

Military Flags

These flags were used by the French military forces in Indochina.

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1862 to 1945	War flag	A square flag with three vertical stripes: blue, white, and red.
1923 to 1945	Flag for local soldiers (Tirailleurs indochinois)	A yellow flag with a small French flag in the top left corner.
1867 to 1945	Flag for the police (Gendarmerie)	This flag was also a French tricolour.

Flags of the Regions

Besides the main French flags, each region within Indochina had its own flags. These flags often showed local traditions and history.

Annam and Tonkin

These areas are now part of Vietnam. They were under the rule of the Nguyễn dynasty and later became French protectorates.

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1858 to 1885	Diplomatic flag of the Dainamese empire	A yellow flag with a gold border.
1885 to 1890	Temporary flag of the Dainamese empire	A yellow flag with the country's name in the middle.
1923 to 1945	Protectorate flag for Annam, Tonkin, and Kouang-Tchéou-Wan	A yellow flag with a small French flag in the top left corner.

Imperial Standards

These were special flags used by the emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1885 to 1890	Standard of Emperor Cảnh Tôn	This flag was also used as a temporary national flag.
1890 to 1920	Standard of emperors from Thành Thái to Hoằng Tôn	A yellow flag with a single red stripe. It was designed by Emperor Thành Thái.
1920 to 1945	Standard of emperors from Hoằng Tôn to Bảo Đại	This flag had a dragon and a star design. It became the official national flag in 1945.

Personal Standards of Emperors

These flags were used by the emperors themselves.

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1802 to 1945	Triangle-shaped personal flag of the emperors	A yellow flag with a dragon design.
1922 to 1945	Rectangle-shaped personal flag of emperors Hoằng Tôn and Bảo Đại	A yellow flag with a dragon design.
1802 to 1945	Imperial pennon of the Nguyễn dynasty	A yellow flag with a dragon design.

Laos

Laos was also a French protectorate. It had flags for its kingdoms before and during French rule.

Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
1713 to 1947	National and royal flag of the Kingdom of Champasak	A red flag with a white three-headed elephant.
1707 to 1893	National and royal flag of the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang	A red flag with a white umbrella.
1887 to 1945	Protectorate flag of the Kingdom of Laos	A red flag with a white three-headed elephant and a small French flag in the top left corner.
1887 to 1975	Royal standard of the Kingdom of Laos	A red flag with a white three-headed elephant and a white umbrella above it.

Cambodia

Cambodia was a French protectorate. It had its own royal and protectorate flags.

Flag	Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
	1863 to 1948	Protectorate flag from King Norodom to King Sihanouk	A red flag with a picture of Angkor Wat in the middle. It had dark blue bands at the top and bottom.
	1863 to 1993	Royal and personal flag of the King	A red flag with a dark blue rectangle inside. It had golden symbols from the Royal Arms of Cambodia.

Cochinchina

Cochinchina was a French colony, which is now part of southern Vietnam.

Flag	Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
	1862 to 1945	Flag of France	After 1946, Cochinchina used a yellow flag with three blue stripes.

Organizations

Many different groups existed in French Indochina. They included political groups, religious groups, and social clubs. Some groups also challenged the French rule.