Bolivia's Unique Dual Identity: Two Flags, One Country

Bolivia is represented by two different flags. The more common of the two is the national flag, which features three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green, with the country's coat of arms in the centre. The rarer flag is the Wiphala banner, which is a symbol of the indigenous people of the Andes and dates back to the Inca Empire.

Bolivia's two flags

Bolivia has two national flags. The first is the national flag or state flag, which is a tricolor of red, yellow, and green with the country's coat of arms in the center. This flag was originally adopted in 1851 and is used by the government. The red stands for the valor of Bolivia's soldiers, the yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, and the green symbolizes the fertility of its land.

The second flag is the Wiphala, which is a banner that traditionally represents many of the indigenous people of the Andes. The Wiphala is the oldest of all of Bolivia's flags, originating in the early days of the Inca Empire. It consists of seven different colors arranged in a diagonal pattern, representing the four regions of the Incan Empire and the natives of the Andes. The Wiphala was instated as Bolivia's alternative flag in 2009 and is now considered a national symbol, with equal status to the national flag.

It is not unusual for countries to have more than one flag. Sometimes the two versions are used interchangeably, but often they are used in different contexts. For example, one flag may be used as the "state flag", which is flown by the government, while the other is the "civil flag", used by the general population.

The Wiphala: the oldest Bolivian flag

Bolivia has two national flags: the Wiphala and the tricolor flag. The Wiphala is the oldest of all Bolivia's flags, originating in the early days of the Inca Empire. The Wiphala is a square emblem used as a flag to represent the native peoples of the Andes, which includes today's Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, northwestern Argentina, and southern Colombia. The flag consists of seven colours—red, orange, yellow, white, green, violet, and another shade of red—arranged in a diagonal pattern. The seven colours reflect the colours of the rainbow and each colour has a unique meaning.

The Wiphala's origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have been used by the Tiwanaku people who bordered the western side of Bolivia during the Pre-Colombian Era (1580 BC–1187 AD). The oldest surviving example of a Wiphala-type design is a chuspa (a bag for coca) corresponding to the Tiwanaku culture, currently housed in the Brooklyn Museum. The Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden, also holds a Wiphala that is estimated to have been created in the 11th century. During the colonial era of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Wiphala became more closely associated with the Inca people. However, it represented the people, not the empire.

In Bolivia, the Wiphala was adopted as the alternative flag in 2009, giving it equal status with the national flag. The Wiphala has been included in the national colours of the Bolivian Air Force and is officially flown on governmental buildings alongside the tricolor flag. The Wiphala is also used in South American Indigenous protests, marches, and other events.

The national flag's colours and their meaning

Bolivia has two national flags. The first is the Wiphala, which is the oldest of all the country's flags. It consists of seven different colours arranged in a diagonal pattern. This flag was adopted in 2009 and represents the four regions of the Incan Empire and the natives of the Andes. The second flag, which was first adopted in 1851, is a tricolor rectangle with three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green. The exact meanings of the colours are as follows:

• Red: "represents the blood shed by our heroes for the birth and preservation of the Republic" and the valor of the army.
• Yellow: "represents our wealth and resources" and the country's mineral deposits.
• Green: "represents the richness of our natural areas as well as hope, a foundational value of our society" and the fertility of Bolivia's land.

The red, yellow, and green colours were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

The civil flag vs the state flag

Bolivia has two national flags: the civil flag and the state flag. The civil flag is used by the general population during civic, public, and patriotic celebrations. It is a tricolor rectangle with three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green, with a ratio of 1:1:1. The red band is on the top, occupying a third of the flag's width, followed by a yellow band of the same width, and a green band at the bottom.

The state flag, on the other hand, is used by the government during official acts and is flown by the military. It has the same tricolor design as the civil flag but includes the Bolivian coat of arms in the centre. The coat of arms features ten stars, representing the country's departments, a dark green mountain symbolizing the silver mountain of Pitosi, an alpaca, crossed cannons, four muskets, an axe, a red Phrygian hood, laurel branches, and an Andean condor.

The colours of the Bolivian flag are symbolic. The red represents the bravery of Bolivian soldiers, the yellow symbolizes the country's rich mineral resources, and the green stands for the fertility of the land and hope. The colours also have historical significance, as they were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors.

In addition to the civil and state flags, Bolivia also has a naval ensign used by navy vessels on rivers and lakes, as well as the Wiphala, which was instated as the country's alternative flag in 2009 and holds equal status with the national flag.

Bolivia's first national flag

Bolivia has two national flags: the Wiphala and the tricolor flag. The Wiphala is the oldest of all Bolivia's flags, originating from the early days of the Inca Empire. The tricolor flag was adopted later, on August 17, 1825, just 11 days after Bolivia declared independence from Spain.

The first national flag of Bolivia consisted of red and green stripes with a yellow star on the red band, surrounded by a green wreath. There were also five laurels and five stars in the centre of the red band. The three colours of the flag were widely used by the Aymara and Quechua peoples, who dominated the area before the arrival of Spanish conquerors. 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 red, green, and yellow, but in a different order from the current appearance. The yellow stripe was at the top, with the red stripe in the middle and the green band at the bottom. The seal still appeared in the centre of the flag. This flag lasted for about three decades before being replaced with the current design.

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