Which Red Flag With a Yellow Star Is That?

As is the case with many nations, Vietnam has endured several different phases over the course of its history. Here, we look at two flags that have represented parts of the country over the years.

Present-day Vietnam

The flag of Vietnam, known as the Vietnamese national flag or the National Flag of the Vietnamese Socialist Republic, is a red background with a central yellow star.

The red represents revolution and the sacrifices of the Vietnamese people, while the single gold star symbolizes unity among the country's workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and youth.

The Vietnam flag has a rich history, symbolizing Vietnam's journey toward independence and national construction, first for North Vietnam and later as the unified flag after the Vietnam War.

Former South Vietnam (National Liberation Front)

During the Vietnam War, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, also known as the Viet Cong, used a flag with a red and blue background and a central yellow star.

The red symbolized the revolutionary spirit of the movement, while the blue sky and yellow star represented the hope for independence and unity.

Flown in Southern Vietnam during the hostilities, including the invasion by U.S. forces, these Vietnamese flags eventually fell out of use after the end of the Vietnam War, as the whole country came to be unified under today's Vietnamese flag.

While Vietnam is the most searched-for red flag with a yellow star, it's not the only one that holds historical significance.

1. China

The national flag of the Democratic Republic of China, also known as the "Five-Star Red Flag," is a famous red and yellow flag. It features a large yellow star in the upper left corner with four smaller stars arranged in an arc to its right on a red background.

The red in the Chinese flag symbolizes the Communist Revolution, while the larger star represents the Communist Party, and the four smaller stars stand for the people of China, unified under the central leadership.

This flag is a powerful symbol of China's identity and the values that underpin the Chinese government and society.

2. Soviet Union

While not an independent national flag anymore, the flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics — the USSR flag, for short — featured a red background with a yellow hammer and sickle alongside a single yellow star in the top left corner. (Technically, the star is red, bordered in yellow.)

The red background represented the Communist Revolution, while the yellow star symbolized unity under the Communist Party. Although the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, this red-and-yellow-star emblem influenced many communist nations and continues to hold historical significance.

These flags add a touch of green to the designs we've reviewed so far.

1. Suriname

A small country in South America — in fact, the smallest by territory and population — Suriname's flag is another variation of the theme of red flag with a yellow star.

In this case, the flag resembles the Vietnamese flag, only it includes green and white bands on the top and bottom of the flag. These represent the fertility of the landscape and freedom, respectively. The red represents progress, while the yellow star represents unity and hope.

2. Cameroon

The flag of Cameroon has three vertical bands (called pales) of green, red and yellow. A country in Central Africa, it shares the Pan-African colors with the flags of many other African states.

The central pale is the red one, and it has a five pointed star, colored yellow, in the middle. The red color represents unity, while the yellow symbolizes the sun and the green stands for the forests of the country.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.