History of the Cambodia Flag: 1948 Angkor Wat Design, Regime Changes & 1993 Restoration
Cambodia’s flag history mirrors the country’s twentieth-century political upheavals. Angkor Wat remained a recurring national symbol even as governments and flag designs changed.
Angkor Wat as a long-running state symbol
Versions of Cambodia’s flags have featured Angkor Wat for generations, reflecting the temple’s place as a symbol of Khmer civilization.
1948: blue-red-blue design
The familiar blue-red-blue horizontal flag with a white Angkor Wat was introduced in 1948 during the late French-protectorate period.
1953 independence
The same basic royal flag continued after Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.
1970: Khmer Republic
After the monarchy was overthrown, the Khmer Republic introduced a different national flag while retaining Angkor Wat imagery.
1975–1993: repeated regime changes
Democratic Kampuchea, the People’s Republic of Kampuchea, the State of Cambodia and the UN transitional period each used different flags as political systems changed.
1993: the monarchy and flag are restored
The Kingdom of Cambodia was restored in 1993, and the blue-red-blue flag with white Angkor Wat returned as the national flag.
Constitutional status
Article 6 of the Constitution establishes the national flag and refers to the official design in Annex I.
Why Angkor Wat kept returning
Even across dramatically different regimes, Angkor Wat remained one of Cambodia’s strongest visual references to national history and Khmer civilization.
