Cambodia's flag consists of a red-blue-red horizontal stripe pattern roughly divided into 25% blue, 50% red, and then 25% blue (otherwise known as 1:2:1 ratio) with the color red taking up the majority of the middle section. The flag of Cambodia's main feature is the structure of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, and has been the main focus of various Cambodian flags since 1850. This flag was officially adopted in 1948 and again in 1993 after the monarchy was reestablished following civil conflict in the country.
The flag of Cambodia, along with that of Afghanistan, are the only two flags in the world to feature a building. Angkor Wat is a very important building in Cambodian and Buddhist cultures worldwide. The white temple is a symbol of a pure religion. The national colours of the Cambodia are blue and red which are featured prominently on this flag. The red symbolizes the land of the nation, which is also comparable to the symbolism of land within aboriginal flags around the world. The blue sections represent the Cambodian Royalty who re-gained their monarchical power and status in 1993.
It is unknown who the official designer of the flag of Cambodia is but what is known is that the basic symbols and coloring in this flag have been consistent since around 1850. After the Siamese-Vietnamese War (1841-1845), Vietnamese government was a dominant force over the people of Cambodia until the King of Cambodia signed a French Protectorate order in 1863.
The modern flag of Cambodia is heavily influenced by the old flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia (1863 - 1948) while under French Protectorate. The major difference between this flag and the contemporary version is layout of the blue and red coloring. In the older flag, the red is a rectangular shape holding the temple of Angkor Wat with blue around the outer sides rather than the horizontal stripes seen today. Although the Japanese tried to enforce the use of a new flag (consisting of a fully red background and a square with other smaller squares making up the corners) while occupying the country during World War II, many did not take this design as official and have labelled it as dubious. Between 1948 and 1993, when this flag was re-adopted and civil conflict had stopped in Cambodia, five different designs, including a United Nations flag, were used.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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