The
Flag of France - Description of the French Flag
As the
above picture of the French Flag indicates the overall
background is Red, white and blue
The description of
the French Flag is as follows:
Three equal
vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red known as
the French Tricouleur (Tricolor)
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the French flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the French flag is described as 2:3 ( length 1½ times the
height )
The Meaning & History of the French Flag
The French
Revolution inaugurated the French tricolor flag
On 14 July 1790,
the Champ de Mars was decked with the tricolor flags to
celebrate the federation and became the symbol of the nation
July 14 is
celebrated as Bastille Day in France
The Bastille was a
little-used Paris prison which the people stormed in 1789
The storming of the
Bastille was a symbolic act and initiated the French Revolution
and the downfall of the French King and the aristocracy
In 1848 the motto
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" was adopted by the
French nation
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
French
Flag Etiquette
French Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including French as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
French
State Flag of
French
Military Flag of
French (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
French
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the French Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
French should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The French flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
French should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the French flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of French, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in French Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the French flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the French flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the French flag to the top, then lowering the
French Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the French flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The French flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the French flag
The French flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The French
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
French flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to French
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding French Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
France
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the Bay of
Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast
of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and
Spain
French Land Size : land: 545,630 sq km
French Climate / Weather
: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild
winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional
strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
French Population :
60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)
French Capital
City: Paris
French GDP: $1.654
trillion (2003 est.)
French Main Industries :
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft,
electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
French Agricultural
products : wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes;
beef, dairy products; fish
French Currency :
euro (EUR)
Main Colors of the
French Flag : Red, white and blue
The Celts and Ancient
French History
Bronze and Iron Age - The emergence
of the Celts across Europe
400BC - By this time the ancient
culture of the Celts had settled in many European countries
including Austria, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland, Western Germany, Northern Spain, Turkey and Hungary
The Celts were people from various
tribes and were called Galli by the Romans and Galatai or Keltoi
by the Greeks. These terms all had one meaning in common -
barbarian
It is from the Greek word Keltoi
from which the word
Celt is derived
Despite the name of Barbarian the
Celtic society was based almost entirely on pastoralism and the
raising of cattle or sheep
15 BC The Romans had begun to
extend their empire. Gallia (in English Gaul) is the Roman name
for the region of Europe occupied by the Celts. The word Gaul
commonly refers to a Celt inhabitant of that region in ancient
times
224 - 220 BC - Rome conquered the
Celts
390 BC - The Celts sacked Rome
280 BC - The Celts sacked many
Greek cities
390 BC - The Celts sacked Rome
50-100AD - The spread of
Christianity
476 AD The Roman Empire collapsed
Middle Ages - Various different
cultures emerged in the lands of the Celts and the history of
each country changed accordingly
The above information provides a
concise background to the Ancient French civilisations
Concise French History its Flag
768-814 -
Charlemagne rules as King of the Franks and is crowned as Holy
Roman Emperor
987 - Hugh
Capet starts Capetian dynasty
1066 -
William, Duke of Normandy, invades England and wins the Battle
of Hastings
1189 - 1192
- Crusaders capture Constantinople
1337 - 1443
- Hundred Years' War
1494 - 1559
- Italian Wars- France and Austria fight over Italian lands
1515 -
François I crowned French King
1547 - 1559
- Reign of Henry II
1572 -
Massacre of Protestants in Paris on St. Bartholomew's Eve.
200,000 Huguenots fled France
1589 - 1593
- Henri IV becomes 1st French Catholic Bourbon King
1608 -
Founding of Quebec
1617 - Louis
XIII crowned at the age of 17
1624 -
Cardinal Richelieu becomes French principal minister
1643 - 1715
- Louis XIV becomes king with Mazarin as French Prime Minister
1715 - Louis
XV accedes the throne on 5 May 1789 King Louis XVI called a meeting
of the Estates-General at Versailles to obtain support for new
taxes - this prompted the seeds of the French Revolution as the
nobles and church were not subjected to taxes
June 1789
The French commoners declared themselves a National Assembly giving
themselves the power to write a new French constitution
14 July 1789
The Bastille was stormed by the people of Paris
1792 King
Louis and Queen Marie-Antoinette were executed and a republic
was set up in France
1793
Napoleon Bonaparte was named a general during the war with
Prussia and Austria
1799 - 1814
Napoleon seized control of France and began building a French empire
1815
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo and was exiled
1815 The
Bourbons were returned to the French throne
1824 Charles
X became king
July 1830
Charles X was overthrown during the July Revolution of 1830
1848 Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte, a nephew of Napoleon, was elected to a
four-year term as French president
1851 Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte seized power
1852 Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor Napoleon III
1870 France
declared war on Prussia and Emperor Napoleon III is overthrown
1914-1918
World War I - Germany invades France
3 September
1939 France and the United Kingdom declare war on Germany
starting World War II
14 June 1940
German troops enter Paris
25 August
1944 Allied troops regain Paris and Charles De Gaulle becomes
head of a provisional government
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1956 Morocco
and Tunisia granted their independence
3 July 1962
Algeria became independent
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The
French Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the French Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
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