France’s national emblem is a vertical tricolor of three equal bands: blue at the hoist, white in the center, and red at the fly.
Specification
Article 2 of the Constitution defines the national emblem as the blue, white, and red tricolor. The constitutional tradition specifies equal vertical bands, while no single ratio governs every physical use. A 2:3 rectangle is the common civil representation.
Display colors
HEX #000091 / contemporary screen referenceHEX #E1000F / contemporary screen referenceConstruction notes
Divide the fly into three equal vertical rectangles. Blue touches the hoist; red forms the free edge. Naval ensigns can use optical adjustments that make the fly-side bands unequal, so they belong in a separate maritime record.
Historical record
The colors emerged from the French Revolution. The Convention fixed the now-familiar blue-at-the-hoist arrangement on 15 February 1794. After interruptions under restored monarchies, the tricolor returned in 1830 and remained the republican national emblem.
Source trail
Élysée: constitutional description of three equal vertical bands ↗