The current flag of Bolivia was officially adopted on October 31, 1851. It is made up of 3 horizontal stripes of equal measurement. The colors of the Bolivian flag are red (the top), yellow (the middle), and green (the bottom). In the center of the middle, yellow stripe lies the national coat of arms. This symbol consists of an Andean condor on top of light blue ring encircling a scene with an alpaca, a mountain, and the sun. Additionally, the coat of arms has laurel branches, guns, and Bolivian flags. As of 2005, the official width by length proportion of the flag of Bolivia has been 15 to 22.
Each of the colors on the Bolivian flag has its own meaning. The red color represents the blood lost by the individuals who fought during the war for independence. The yellow color represents the mineral resources found within Bolivia, like gold, tin, iron, silver, and tungsten. Finally, the green color is said to represent the fertile land, agricultural crops, and plant life thriving throughout the country. The order of the colors on the Bolivian flag has a specific meaning as well. The red, yellow, green order resembles the order of colors as they appear on the national flower of Bolivia: the kantuta.
Not much information has been recorded about who designed the original flag of Bolivia. In 1888, however, the government of Bolivia established an official description of the national flag. This description was published in the Supreme Decree of 1888 under then-President Gregorio Pacheco, who served as President from 1884 to 1888.
The flag of Bolivia has changed several times throughout history. The first version, used between 1825 and 1826, had a green stripe on the top and bottom and a red stripe in the middle. On the red band were 5 laurel rings surrounding 5 stars, which represented the 5 departments of Bolivia. The second version of the national flag was created 11 days after Bolivia declared its independence from Spain and used between 1826 and 1851. This flag took on the 3 colors it has today, but in a different order, with a yellow stripe at the top, followed by a red stripe in the middle, and a green stripe at the bottom. The coat of arms was placed in the red band. In 1851, the current flag version was adopted.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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