Flag of Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic's flag has a white cross that divides it into four rectangles, blue and red on top and red and blue below, with the national coat of arms in the centre.
At a glance
- Adopted
- November 6, 1863first raised in 1844 at independence; sources give different dates for when today's exact form with the coat of arms became official (1844 or 1863)
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Santo Domingo
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- ultramarine blue
- vermilion red
- white
What it means
- Blue: liberty, or God's protection of the nation
- Red: the blood of the heroes who fought for independence
- White cross: salvation, and the peace and unity of the people
- Coat of arms: an open Bible and a cross, surrounded by flags, with the motto "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (God, Fatherland, Liberty)
Where it came from
The flag was designed by Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the founders of the country. Its blue and red come from the flag of Haiti, which ruled the whole island before 1844; Duarte added a white cross.
The first flags were sewn by four women, among them Maria Trinidad Sanchez and Concepcion Bona, and the flag was first raised on 28 February 1844, the day after the War of Independence began.
History
From 1861 to 1865 Spain took the country back, and the Spanish flag flew instead. After independence was restored, the flag returned with its blue and red quarters in an alternating pattern and the coat of arms in the centre of the cross.
Today the version with the coat of arms is the national flag, and a plain version without it is used on merchant ships. The constitution describes the colours as ultramarine blue and vermilion red.
Fun facts
- The coat of arms shows an open Bible, which is very unusual on a national flag.
- The open Bible in the coat of arms is turned to the Gospel of John, chapter 8.
- Flag Day is 27 February, Independence Day.
- The flag is easy to confuse in name with Dominica's flag, which looks completely different.
Easy to mix up with
Haiti: Haiti uses the same blue and red, but as two horizontal stripes, blue over red, with its coat of arms on a white panel and no cross
Questions
What does the flag of Dominican Republic look like?
The Dominican Republic's flag has a white cross that divides it into four rectangles, blue and red on top and red and blue below, with the national coat of arms in the centre.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Dominican Republic mean?
Blue: liberty, or God's protection of the nation; Red: the blood of the heroes who fought for independence; White cross: salvation, and the peace and unity of the people; Coat of arms: an open Bible and a cross, surrounded by flags, with the motto "Dios, Patria, Libertad" (God, Fatherland, Liberty).
When was the flag of Dominican Republic adopted?
The current flag of Dominican Republic was adopted on November 6, 1863. (first raised in 1844 at independence; sources give different dates for when today's exact form with the coat of arms became official (1844 or 1863))
What colours are on the flag of Dominican Republic?
The flag of Dominican Republic uses ultramarine blue, vermilion red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Dominican Republic?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Haiti. Haiti uses the same blue and red, but as two horizontal stripes, blue over red, with its coat of arms on a white panel and no cross
Famous landmarks in Dominican Republic
All about Dominican Republic →
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)