France

The national flag of France.

Symbolism
The blue and red on the flag are the traditional colours of Paris, France's capital city. Blue is identified with Saint Martin and red with Saint Denis. White has featured on French flags for a long time and is described as the "ancient French colour". Blue and red are also associated with the Virgin Mary, the patroness of France, and were the colours of the oriflamme. The colours of the French flag may also represent the three main estates of the Ancien Régime (the clergy: white, the nobility: red and the bourgeoisie: blue).