Flag of Chile
La Estrella Solitaria ("The Lone Star")
The flag of Chile has two horizontal stripes, white above red, with a blue square in the top corner holding a single white star.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 18, 1817established by a decree of Bernardo O'Higgins in October 1817; later laws in 1854 and 1912 fixed the layout and the size of the star
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Santiago
- Continent
- South America
- Colours
- blue
- white
- red
What it means
- Blue: the sky and the Pacific Ocean
- White: the snow on the Andes mountains
- Red: the blood shed for independence
- Star: a guide to progress and honour; it is also said to stand for an independent state. These are the popular explanations
Where it came from
The flag was set up by a decree of Bernardo O'Higgins, the leader of Chile's independence, on 18 October 1817. The design is commonly credited to his war minister, Jose Ignacio Zenteno. Many people said it was drawn by Antonio Arcos, but historians think it was drawn by Gregorio de Andia y Varela.
History
Chile's first flag, from 1812 to 1814, had horizontal stripes of blue, white and yellow. It is called the flag of the Patria Vieja (Old Homeland). Spain then took the country back until 1817.
After independence was won again, a blue, white and red tricolour was used briefly before the lone-star flag replaced it. At first the flag also had a coat of arms, but that was soon dropped. Its proportions were fixed in 1854, and the size of the star was set in 1912.
Fun facts
- Chile's flag is nicknamed "The Lone Star" because of its single star.
- A popular story says it won a "most beautiful flag" contest in Belgium in 1907, but there is no good evidence that this contest happened.
- The flag of the US state of Texas, adopted in 1839, looks very similar.
Easy to mix up with
Cuba: Cuba also has a lone white star, but in a red triangle with blue and white stripes
Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico has a white star in a blue triangle, with red and white stripes
Questions
What does the flag of Chile look like?
The flag of Chile has two horizontal stripes, white above red, with a blue square in the top corner holding a single white star.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Chile mean?
Blue: the sky and the Pacific Ocean; White: the snow on the Andes mountains; Red: the blood shed for independence; Star: a guide to progress and honour; it is also said to stand for an independent state. These are the popular explanations.
When was the flag of Chile adopted?
The current flag of Chile was adopted on October 18, 1817. (established by a decree of Bernardo O'Higgins in October 1817; later laws in 1854 and 1912 fixed the layout and the size of the star)
What colours are on the flag of Chile?
The flag of Chile uses blue, white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Chile?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Cuba. Cuba also has a lone white star, but in a red triangle with blue and white stripes
Famous landmarks in Chile
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)