Flag of Brazil
The flag of Brazil is green with a large yellow diamond. Inside is a blue globe showing a starry sky, crossed by a white band with the motto "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress).
At a glance
- Adopted
- May 11, 1992the design dates from 19 November 1889; the 1992 law gave it today's 27 stars, one for each state and the Federal District
- Shape (height : width)
- 7:10
- Capital
- Brasília
- Continent
- South America
- Colours
- green
- yellow
- blue
- white
What it means
- Green and yellow: the colours of the royal families of Braganza and Habsburg from the time of the empire; people often say green is the forests and yellow is gold, but that is a popular explanation
- Blue globe with stars: the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, when the republic was proclaimed
- 27 stars: each star stands for one state or the Federal District
- Motto: "Order and Progress", from the ideas of Auguste Comte
Where it came from
Brazil became a republic on 15 November 1889, and the new flag was adopted four days later. The idea came from Raimundo Teixeira Mendes, working with Miguel Lemos and Manuel Pereira Reis, and the painter Decio Villares drew it.
They kept the green field and yellow diamond of the old imperial flag, but replaced the emperor's coat of arms with a blue night sky. The motto comes from the French thinker Auguste Comte, whose ideas the designers followed.
History
Before 1889 Brazil was an empire, and its flag had the same green and yellow with a crown and a coat of arms. Just after the republic began, a flag with stripes like the United States flag was used for a few days, but it was quickly dropped.
The first republican flag had 21 stars. More stars were added in 1960, 1968 and 1992 as new states were created, giving today's 27.
Fun facts
- Each star is a real star, such as those of the Southern Cross. The lone star above the white band is Spica and stands for the state of Para.
- The sky is drawn as if seen from outside the starry sphere, looking down, not as you see it from the ground.
- Old worn-out flags are burned in a special ceremony on Flag Day, 19 November.
- Brazil's flag is said to be one of the most complicated national flags to construct.
Easy to mix up with
Portugal: Portugal, which once ruled Brazil, has green and red with a coat of arms, not green and yellow
Questions
What does the flag of Brazil look like?
The flag of Brazil is green with a large yellow diamond. Inside is a blue globe showing a starry sky, crossed by a white band with the motto "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress).
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Brazil mean?
Green and yellow: the colours of the royal families of Braganza and Habsburg from the time of the empire; people often say green is the forests and yellow is gold, but that is a popular explanation; Blue globe with stars: the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, when the republic was proclaimed; 27 stars: each star stands for one state or the Federal District; Motto: "Order and Progress", from the ideas of Auguste Comte.
When was the flag of Brazil adopted?
The current flag of Brazil was adopted on May 11, 1992. (the design dates from 19 November 1889; the 1992 law gave it today's 27 stars, one for each state and the Federal District)
What colours are on the flag of Brazil?
The flag of Brazil uses green, yellow, blue and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Brazil?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Portugal. Portugal, which once ruled Brazil, has green and red with a coat of arms, not green and yellow
Famous landmarks in Brazil
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)