Vaud Flag

The flag of the Swiss canton of Vaud is divided horizontally into two halves: white over green, with the motto «LIBERTÉ ET PATRIE» ("Liberty and Homeland") inscribed in gold letters across the white upper half. It is the only Swiss cantonal flag whose principal charge is text.

The flag's square 1:1 proportion aligns it with the traditional shape of Swiss cantonal flags. The combination of white, green and gold gives it a clean, distinctive look among the mostly heraldic designs of the other cantons.

The flag's meaning is carried by its motto, «LIBERTÉ ET PATRIE» — Liberty and Homeland — which reflects the canton's republican identity forged in the Vaudois revolution against Bernese rule. The green half is the canton's traditional color, associated with hope and with the revolutionary cockades of 1798, while the white stands for the purity of those ideals.

Unlike flags that represent ideas through symbols, Vaud states its founding principles literally, making it one of vexillology's most direct designs.

The current flag was officially adopted as the cantonal banner on April 17, 1803, following the Act of Mediation enacted by Napoleon Bonaparte, which restored Swiss cantonal sovereignty and created the canton of Vaud. Its design originates from the military flags used by Vaudois troops during the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803), a period when French revolutionary ideals heavily influenced the region.

The flag has remained in continuous use since its adoption, representing the canton through Switzerland's development as a federal state. It is one of the few cantonal flags whose design has remained virtually unchanged for over two centuries, a testament to the enduring power of its simple message. The specific shade of green and the exact typography have been standardized in modern times to ensure consistent reproduction.