Flag of Bolivia

The flag of Bolivia is the national flag of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. It was originally adopted in 1851. The state and war flag is a horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green with the Bolivian coat of arms in the center. According to one source, the red stands for Bolivia's brave soldiers, while the green symbolizes fertility and yellow the nation's mineral deposits. Along with the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Afghanistan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and El Salvador it is one of eight national flags in the world which has a depiction of its flag within the flag itself.[1] It is one of four national flags among UN member states that features a firearm, along with those of Mozambique, Haiti and Guatemala.

State Flag of Bolivia on flagpole

Plurinational State of Bolivia
NameLa Tricolor
"The tricolor" (in Spanish)
UseState and war flag
Proportion15:22
Adopted31 October 1851 (1851-10-31)
DesignA horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green with the coat of arms
UseCivil flag
Proportion15:22
Adopted31 October 1851 (1851-10-31)
DesignA horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green
Dual flag
NamesWiphala, banner of the Qulla Suyu
UseNational flag
Proportion1:1
Adopted7 February 2009
DesignBanner composed of a 7-by-7 square patchwork in seven colours, arranged diagonally.
Maritime Claim Flag
UseNaval ensign
Proportion2:3
Naval Jack
NameNaval jack
Proportion1:1
DesignA red, yellow and green square.
Triple flag
NameFlag of the Patujú flower
UseCivil flag and ensign
Proportion8:11
Adopted13 November 2019 (nationally)
DesignA Patujú Flower rotated in 45° in red, yellow and green with a white background.
The Wiphala and the tricolor flying on the presidential Palacio Quemado in La Paz.

Since 2009 the Wiphala also holds the status of dual flag in the country.

Overview

According to the revised Constitution of Bolivia of 2009, the Wiphala is considered a national symbol of Bolivia (along with the flag, national anthem, coat of arms, the cockade; kantuta flower and patujú flower).[2]

Despite its landlocked status, Bolivia has a naval ensign used by navy vessels on rivers and lakes. It consists of a blue field with the state flag in the canton bordered by nine small yellow five-pointed stars, with a larger yellow five-pointed star in the fly. The nine small stars represent the nine departments of Bolivia, and the larger star the nation's right to access the sea (access that it lost in 1884 in the War of the Pacific).

Description

Design and dimensions

The national flag of Bolivia is described as a tricolor rectangle, with the colors red, yellow and green, in a ratio of 1:1:1, meaning three horizontal bands, with the red on the superior part occupying a third of the flag's width, yellow in the middle band using the same width, and green in the inferior part, using the last third.[3]

The dimensions of the flag had not been defined since its adoption in 1851. Supreme Decree No. 27630 of 2004 finally established that the size of the national flag be of 7.5 squares width by 11 squares long, a square can be any size, but always using the ratio 15:22.

Color and symbolism

The first description of Bolivia's national flag, together with the significance of these, were first established by the Supreme Decree of 1888 during the government of President Gregorio Pacheco, which specifies that:

  •   Red: "represents the blood shed by our heroes for the birth and preservation of the Republic"
  •   Yellow: "represents our wealth and resources."
  •   Green: "represents the richness of our natural areas as well as hope, a foundational value of our society"

The exact colors of the Bolivian flag have been established by the Supreme Decree of 2004:[4]

Color model Red Yellow Green
Pantone485[5]Process Yellow[5]356[5]
RGB (hex)218, 41, 28 (#DA291C)[6]244, 228, 0 (#F4E400)[7]0, 122, 51 (#007A33)[8]
CMYKC0 M95 Y100 K0[6]C0 M0 Y100 K0[7]C91 M0 Y100 K26[8]


The colours of the tricolor can also be found in the Bolivian Wiphala. The Wiphala has been included into the national colours of the Bolivian Air Force such as on the executive Dassault Falcon 900EX.[9] The Wiphala is also officially flown on governmental buildings such as the Palacio Quemado and parliament alongside the tricolor since the introduction of the revised 2009 constitution.[10]

Historical flags

The current Bolivian flag has been officially adopted 31 October 1851 during the presidency of Manuel Isidoro Belzu.

According to Supreme Decree No. 27630 of 19 July 2004, during the presidency of Carlos Mesa, it was established that the civil flag used in civic, public and patriotic celebrations will be used without the National Shield, instead the flag used by the state in official acts it will include in its central part the shield
During the presidency of Evo Morales, through Supreme Decree No. 241 of 5 August 2009, some symbolic modifications were made the flag. It was also established that both the civil flag and the flag used by the State in official acts it will be raised on the right side and the wiphala on the left side

  • Colonial flag, Spanish Empire flag (1506–1825/1821 in Peru, and Bolivia), (1506–1785/1701 in other colonies), (1506–1821 in Philippines)
  • Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1825–1826)
  • Bandera Mayor, State flag (1825–1826)
  • Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1831–1851)
  • Bandera Mayor, State flag (1831–1851)
  • Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839)
  • Wiphala banner (used since 2009, allegedly Incan)
  • Former naval ensign of Bolivia (1966–2013)
  • Flag of the Armed Forces of Bolivia
  • Flag of the Patujú flower, used officially in the Santa Cruz and Beni Department since 2013 and 2014 respectively and nationally since 2019.

See also

References
  1. Minahan, James. (2010). The complete guide to national symbols and emblems. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-34496-1. OCLC 436221284.
  2. "Artículo 6. II. Los símbolos del Estado son la bandera tricolor rojo, amarillo y verde; el himno boliviano; el escudo de armas; la wiphala; la escarapela; la flor de la kantuta y la flor del patujú." (Article 6. II. State symbols are the flag tricolor red, yellow and green; the Bolivian national anthem; coat of arms; the wiphala; the cockade; the flower of kantuta and the flower of patujú.) Constitution of Bolivia Archived 24 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Bandera de Bolivia". Bolivia.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  4. DeveNet S.R.L./LexiVox. "Bolivian Flag". Lexivox.org. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  5. "Gaceta Oficial del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia" (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. "PANTONE 485 C - Find a Pantone Color". Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  7. "PANTONE Process Yellow C - Find a Pantone Color". Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  8. "PANTONE 356 C - Find a Pantone Color". Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  9. "Photos: Dassault Falcon 900EX Aircraft Pictures - Airliners.net". Airliners.net. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  10. "Por decreto, el Ejecutivo fija dos fechas fechas de fundación del país". Eju.tv. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
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