Official Palette
Symbolism
Blue represents the sky, opportunities, and perseverance. White represents peace, happiness, and wisdom. Red represents the blood shed for freedom and the generosity of the people.
History
Adopted on November 27, 1906. The design was inspired by the French tricolor and was created by Pacifica Fernandez, the wife of President Jose Maria Castro Madriz.
Construction
A 3:5 ratio. Five horizontal bands of blue, white, red (double width), white, and blue.
Color Meanings
Country Facts
Flag Identification
- Adopted
- September 29, 1848
- Designer
- Pacífica Fernández
- Proportions
3:5 (≈1.667)
- Total Colors
- 3
- Primary Layout
- Horizontal bands
- Key Symbols
- Emblem
Influences
Lookalike Comparison
Side-by-side analysis of high-confusion flags, comparing exact color shades, proportions, and historical divergence.
Direct Lookalike Comparison
Quick Tell
Costa Rica is blue-white-red-white-blue; Thailand is red-white-blue-white-red.
Historical Divergence
The history note also mentions November 27, 1906. This comparison uses the 1848 adoption field.
Related flags
Flag Protocol
- Only the government version contains the national coat of arms
- Must be raised on September 15 to celebrate independence
Practice
Think you know the flags of Central America? Test your recognition in a quick practice round.