The official Cambodia national flag, known in Khmer as ទង់ជាតិកម្ពុជា (Tóng Cheat Kâmpŭchéa), is the legally established state flag featuring the Angkor Wat temple motif at its centre. This design, commonly called the Cambodian flag, was first adopted in 1948 and was restored as the state flag in 1993. The current legal status recognises it as the symbol of the Kingdom of Cambodia’s sovereignty and national identity.
The Cambodian flag displays a horizontal triband of blue, red, and blue, with the central red stripe double width and a white depiction of Angkor Wat. Standard sources describe blue and red as traditional Cambodian colours and highlight Angkor Wat as one of the few architectural motifs on a national flag worldwide. General references often cite associations with the monarchy, the nation, and religious and cultural heritage without detailing individual political narratives.
This article outlines the Cambodian flag’s key specifications, public visibility, design, symbolism, historical development, etiquette, and practical relevance for travellers navigating modern Cambodia.
Key Takeaways About the Cambodia Flag
📌 Key Takeaways
- Status: The Cambodian flag is the official national flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia, readopted in 1993 after the restoration of the monarchy.
- Visibility: The flag regularly appears on government buildings, schools, military facilities, and selected transport hubs, especially in Phnom Penh and provincial capitals.
- Specification: The design uses a horizontal blue–red–blue triband with the red stripe double width and Angkor Wat centred.
- Identification: The white three-towered Angkor Wat silhouette on a red field between blue bands provides immediate visual recognition.
- Interpretation: Standard references describe the colours and emblem as representing monarchy, the nation, religious traditions, and cultural continuity.
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Public Presence of the Cambodian Flag
Travellers arriving at Cambodian international airports or major land borders usually first encounter the Cambodian flag on mastheads near immigration counters and external terminal façades. At Phnom Penh and Siem Reap gateways, the flag often appears beside bilingual entry signage and national crests above arrival lanes.
In central Phnom Penh, the flag frequently flies from tall flagpoles outside ministries, the Royal Palace perimeter, and major boulevards where administrative offices cluster. Similar displays appear at provincial halls, district offices, and some public schools, where wall-mounted signs sometimes pair the flag with official Khmer script names.
Around transport hubs, the flag can appear on government-operated ferry piers, military compounds near main roads, and certain checkpoints, while many private bus stations and guesthouses display commercial branding instead. On some public holidays and official ceremonies, additional temporary flags line key riverside promenades or civic squares, increasing visibility beyond typical daily levels.
Design and Layout of the Cambodia Flag
The Cambodia national flag follows a horizontally striped layout with fixed proportions and a centrally placed depiction of Angkor Wat. The table below summarises the principal technical design elements as reported in commonly cited flag references.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Horizontal triband |
| Colors | Blue, red, white |
| Digital colors | Blue approx RGB 0-32-91 HEX #00205B; red approx RGB 200-16-46 HEX #C8102E* |
| Print colors | Blue approx CMYK 100-80-0-60; red approx CMYK 2-100-85-6* |
| Color arrangement | Blue top stripe, red central double-width stripe, blue bottom stripe |
| Emblem or symbol placement | White three-towered Angkor Wat centred in the middle of the red stripe |
| Official proportions | Ratio 2:3 |
Some technical sources provide approximate digital and print colour values, although exact state specifications may vary slightly between standards. The consistent elements across references are the 2:3 ratio, the wider central red band, and the centralised Angkor Wat emblem between the blue stripes.
Meaning and Symbolism of the Cambodia Flag
Mainstream summaries describe Cambodia’s flag symbolism as linking blue with the monarchy, red with the nation and the people, and white with purity, justice, and religious traditions, especially Buddhism. The Angkor Wat emblem is commonly interpreted as representing national heritage, cultural continuity, and the historical Khmer Empire centred on the Angkor region.
Other references note that interpretations vary by source, with some accounts emphasising unity and freedom in relation to blue, and others foregrounding bravery and sacrifice in relation to red. Certain modern commentaries additionally frame the ensemble as reflecting resilience after conflict, though such readings are usually presented as contemporary contextual perspectives rather than formal codified meanings.
What the Flag of Cambodia Represents
- Blue stripes: These are widely cited as representing the monarchy, national unity, and a traditional association with royal authority.
- Red stripe: This is commonly described as symbolising the Cambodian nation, courageous sacrifice, and the collective body of citizens.
- White Angkor Wat: This emblem is often interpreted as expressing cultural heritage, religious devotion, and perceived moral purity.
How to Identify the Cambodian Flag
At border checkpoints, transport terminals, or dense flag displays, observers can distinguish the Cambodian flag by combining stripe layout and central emblem details. Clear recognition relies on looking for the correct colour sequence and the distinctive Angkor Wat silhouette in the middle red band.
- Look for: A horizontal triband where the central red stripe is visibly wider than the blue stripes above and below.
- Check that: A white three-towered temple, resembling Angkor Wat, appears precisely centred within the red stripe.
- Confirm that: The two blue stripes are equal in height and frame the red stripe symmetrically at the top and bottom edges.
- Distinguish the design: From plain tricolours by focusing on the architectural temple outline rather than generic crests or geometric symbols.
Similar Flags Commonly Confused With the Cambodia Flag
Some flags from other countries or historical periods share partial similarities with the Cambodian flag, often through comparable colour schemes or horizontal arrangements. These similarities remain limited, and closer examination of emblems, proportions, or stripe order normally resolves confusion.
| Commonly confused with | Shared visual elements | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Red, white, and blue horizontal stripes | No central temple, five stripes with different colour order and width |
| Laos | Blue and red horizontal bands with central emblem | White disc instead of temple, different stripe proportions |
| Historical Cambodian flags | Use of red, blue, and Angkor-related imagery | Alternative layouts, symbols, or absence of double-width red stripe |
History of the Flag of Cambodia
The flag history of Cambodia reflects shifts between monarchy, republic, socialist rule, and international administration across the twentieth century and early 1990s. The current Cambodia national flag, with Angkor Wat on a red stripe between blue bands, first appeared in 1948 and was restored in 1993 after United Nations–supervised elections and the re-establishment of the monarchy. Earlier and intervening flags documented during French protection, republican governance, Democratic Kampuchea, and the People’s Republic of Kampuchea used different arrangements and emblems while retaining references to Cambodian identity.
- 1863–1948: Royal and protectorate-era flags combine traditional motifs and French-influenced heraldic elements.
- 1948–1970: Original Angkor Wat triband flag serves as the national flag during the kingdom period.
- 1970–1975: Khmer Republic adopts a new design reflecting republican state structures and symbols.
- 1975–1979: Democratic Kampuchea introduces a different red flag incorporating a stylised Angkor image and revolutionary context.
- 1979–1989: People’s Republic of Kampuchea uses another variant featuring a yellow Angkor outline on red.
- 1989–1993: State of Cambodia flag precedes the UNTAC period, which employed a United Nations flag for administration.
Cambodia Flag Etiquette for Visitors: Common Dos and Don’ts
Observers commonly notice that public handling of the Cambodian flag follows general norms associated with national symbols, particularly around state institutions, monuments, and official ceremonies. Most guidance comes from the context of formal state usage rather than explicit tourist-facing rule lists, yet recurring patterns indicate how locals typically treat Cambodia’s flag.
| Commonly observed | Typically avoided |
|---|---|
| Standing respectfully during formal flag-raising | Using worn or visibly damaged flags in official spaces |
| Keeping flags higher than surrounding decorative items | Placing flags on the ground or in obstructive positions |
| Displaying the flag in clean, unobstructed locations | Using the flag as improvised clothing or packaging |
| Using correct upright orientation on poles and prints | Altering design elements for casual decorative effect |
| Lowering or removing flags during adverse weather | Leaving flags tangled, inverted, or poorly secured |
Cambodia Flag: Practical Travel Tips for Tourists
The Cambodian flag often appears on arrival signage, border markers, and public offices, offering a visual cue that travellers have entered Cambodian jurisdiction and administrative space. In practical terms, understanding where national symbols appear can help visitors orient themselves among ministries, embassies, and official service points when moving between districts.
- Navigation: Travellers commonly use ministries or provincial halls marked with the Cambodian flag as reference points when interpreting local maps, bus stops, and intercity taxi routes.
- Information: Public information boards near flag-bearing government offices often host notices in Khmer and sometimes English, which can assist with basic orientation despite language barriers.
- Payments: In urban areas, electronic payments and ATMs cluster around administrative districts and commercial streets where the flag appears on nearby municipal buildings, while cash remains practical in outlying areas.
- Connectivity: Mobile coverage in Cambodia is generally strongest around cities and main highways, where users rely on data to check the time difference in Cambodia when coordinating transport and communication across regions.
Staying Connected in Cambodia with SimCorner
On arrival in Cambodia, reliable data access supports map navigation from airports, real-time translation of Khmer signage, digital hotel confirmations, and ride-booking or ticketing apps linked to locations marked by Cambodia’s flag. Consistent connectivity also assists with mobile payments, embassy information, and onward transport coordination when moving between urban centres and secondary towns.
Travellers comparing eSIM Cambodia options and Cambodia SIM cards typically look for plans that provide immediate activation by QR code, hotspot capability for multiple devices, and coverage on major networks. Reference material often lists KDDI, SoftBank, and NTT Docomo as established operators, with travel-focused products marketed to deliver transparent pricing, zero roaming surcharges, and continuous app access for maps, messaging, and bookings. Many providers highlight 24/7 customer support and straightforward plan management interfaces, enabling visitors to adjust data allowances without visiting physical stores in transit nodes.
Cambodia’s flag connects legal state identity, architectural heritage, and everyday travel reality, appearing on key buildings, documents, and arrival points that structure most visitor journeys through the country.
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