Bolivia's flag is a tricolour of red, yellow, and green, with the Bolivian coat of arms in the centre. The flag was adopted in 1851, but the colours were chosen in 1851. The flag has three horizontal stripes, with each colour represented in equal proportions. Each colour has a meaning: red represents the bravery of Bolivian heroes and the blood shed by soldiers to free Bolivia from Spanish domination; yellow expresses the country's mineral wealth; and green symbolises the fertility of Bolivian soil, rich in forests and home to the Amazon basin. This colour is also a sign of hope for the indigenous people.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Number of flags | 2 |
Flag type | Civil flag (without a coat of arms) and state flag (with a coat of arms) |
Colors | Red, yellow, green |
Color meanings | Bravery of Bolivian heroes and soldiers, bloodshed, mineral wealth, fertility of Bolivian soil, hope for indigenous people |
Coat of arms | Yes, on the state flag |
Coat of arms meaning | Elements that highlight Bolivia's identity, including an Andean condor, a laurel tree, and the capital lettering BOLIVIA |
Coat of arms elements | 10 yellow 5-pointed stars, a mountain, a silver mine, a chapel, a red sun, a llama, wheat, a palm tree, an oval shield, an axe, rifles, 6 small Bolivian flags |
First flag | August 17, 1825 |
Current flag | October 31, 1851 |
What You'll Learn
The red stripe on Bolivia's flag symbolises the valour of the army
The flag of Bolivia is a tricolour of red, yellow and green, with the red stripe at the top. The red stripe on Bolivia's flag symbolises the valour and bravery of the country's soldiers and army. The current design was adopted on 31 October 1851, but the order of the stripes has changed over time. The red stripe was placed at the top of the flag, above the yellow and green stripes, to increase the flag's distinctiveness when viewed from a distance.
The flag of Bolivia is the national flag of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Bolivia's first national flag was adopted on 17 August 1825, 11 days after the country declared independence from Spain. The original design featured a tricolour of green stripes with a single red stripe in the middle, and five laurels and five stars in the centre of the red band. The country's current flag features the Bolivian coat of arms in the centre, with the red stripe at the top, followed by yellow, then green at the bottom.
The red stripe on Bolivia's flag symbolises the valour and bravery of the country's soldiers and army. The yellow stripe represents the country's mineral wealth and resources, while the green stripe symbolises the fertility of the land and nature's bounty. The colours of the flag are also associated with the traditional clothing of the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors.
The Bolivian flag is not the country's only official symbol. In 2009, Bolivia instated the Wiphala as its alternative flag, giving it equal status with the national flag. The Wiphala is the oldest of all Bolivia's flags and dates back to the early days of the Inca Empire. It consists of seven different colours arranged in a diagonal pattern, representing the four regions of the Incan Empire and the natives of the Andes.
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The yellow stripe symbolises the country's mineral wealth
The yellow stripe on Bolivia's flag symbolises the country's mineral wealth. The country has a rich mining heritage, with abundant deposits of gold and tin. The colour yellow is often associated with prosperity, and it is thought that the yellow stripe on the flag aptly symbolises the nation's longstanding relationship with mining, which has significantly shaped its economy and global standing.
The meaning of the colours on the flag was likely decided after its adoption, as they were derived from earlier flags. The three colours—red, yellow, and green—were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors. The red stripe is thought to symbolise the valour of the army, and the green stripe, the fertility of the land.
Bolivia's flag was officially adopted on 31 October 1851, and it is one of the country's critical national symbols. The flag serves as a rallying point for citizens and represents the nation on the international stage. The flag's tricolour design combines elements that resonate deeply with its citizens and capture the attention of people around the globe.
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The green stripe symbolises the fertility of the land
The national flag of Bolivia is made up of three stripes of red, yellow, and green. The green stripe symbolises the fertility of the land. Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, with around one-third of its territory in the steep Andes Mountains. The country has a rich history, having been part of the Inca Empire before Spanish conquistadors took control of the area. The green stripe on the flag represents the fertility of Bolivia's landscape, which includes the famous Andes mountains. The country's natural resources are also reflected in the coat of arms that sits in the centre of the flag. This features a dark green mountain, representing the silver mountain of Pitosi, as well as an alpaca, native to South America, and a sheaf of wheat.
The green stripe on the Bolivian flag is also said to represent the hope that is a foundational value of Bolivian society. The colour green is associated with hope and new beginnings in many cultures. For Bolivia, a country that has faced various governments and a struggle for independence, the colour green on its flag symbolises the hope for a prosperous future.
The green stripe on the flag also has cultural significance. The colours red, yellow, and green were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors. The use of these colours on the flag, therefore, pays homage to the native peoples of Bolivia and their cultural heritage.
The green stripe on the flag of Bolivia is a powerful symbol of the country's natural landscape and its history. Through its colour and placement on the flag, the green stripe represents the fertility of the land, the hope of the nation, and the cultural heritage of the native peoples of Bolivia.
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The Wiphala is Bolivia's second national flag
Bolivia has two national flags: the Wiphala, which was instated as the country's second flag in 2009, and the horizontal tricolour of red, yellow, and green, which was adopted in 1851. The Wiphala is a square emblem used as a flag to represent the native peoples of the Andes, including those in Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, northwestern Argentina, and southern Colombia. It consists of a 7x7 square patchwork in seven colours, arranged diagonally. The colours of the Wiphala are red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue, and violet, and each colour has a specific meaning. For example, red represents the Earth and the Andean man, while yellow stands for energy and strength. The Wiphala is the oldest of all Bolivia's flags, dating back to the early days of the Inca Empire.
Bolivia's other flag, consisting of red, yellow, and green stripes, also has symbolic meaning. The red stands for the valour of the army, the yellow represents the country's mineral resources, and the green symbolises the fertility of the land. The colours were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors. The tricolour flag also features the Bolivian coat of arms in the centre.
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The colours of the flag were chosen in 1851
The colours of the flag of Bolivia were chosen in 1851, but the flag's design has evolved since the country gained independence from Spain in 1825. The first national flag was a tricolour of green stripes with a single red stripe in the middle, featuring five laurels and five stars in the centre of the red band. The red and green colours were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the Spanish conquerors arrived. The colours also have been associated with the valour of the army (red), the richness of mineral resources (yellow), and the fertility of the land (green).
On July 25, 1826, the country changed the flag colours to the modern-day red, green, and yellow. The seal remained in the centre, but the order of the stripes was different from the current appearance, with the yellow stripe at the top, red in the middle, and green at the bottom. This flag lasted for about three decades before being replaced with the current design.
In the late 1830s, Bolivia was temporarily united with Peru under a red flag featuring the confederation arms in the centre. On November 5, 1851, the order of the stripes was changed to red, yellow, and green, as it remains today. This change was perhaps made to increase the flag's distinctiveness when seen from a distance. The current flag law dates from July 14, 1888, and the coat of arms has since been modified unofficially by the addition of a 10th star. The nine stars previously in use referred to the nine Bolivian departments, while the 10th star symbolises the valuable territory (and its outlet to the ocean) that was lost to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884).
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