Flag of Ecuador
Ecuador's flag has three horizontal stripes, a wide yellow one on top, then blue and red, with the national coat of arms in the centre.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 26, 1860the colours were brought back in 1860; the coat of arms was added in 1900 and the official ratio of 2:3 was set out in 2009 rules
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Quito
- Continent
- South America
- Colours
- yellow
- blue
- red
What it means
- Yellow: the crops and the fertile land
- Blue: the ocean and the clear sky
- Red: the blood of the heroes who died for the country and for freedom
- Coat of arms: the volcano Chimborazo, the Guayas River with the steamship Guayas, a golden sun with zodiac signs, and an Andean condor on top
Where it came from
The yellow, blue and red colours come from a flag first proposed by the Venezuelan independence hero Francisco de Miranda in the early 1800s. Gran Colombia, a large country that included today's Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, used these colours.
On 26 September 1860, leader Gabriel Garcia Moreno brought back this tricolour as Ecuador's flag. That day is now Ecuador's Flag Day.
History
Under Spanish rule the Cross of Burgundy flew here. After independence the port of Guayaquil used a blue and white striped flag with stars, and from 1845 to 1860 Ecuador used a white-blue-white flag with stars for its provinces.
Since 1860 the tricolour has stayed. In 1900 the coat of arms was added for official use, and in 2009 a national guide fixed the design and the 2:3 shape. Ships of the merchant fleet often use the plain flag without the coat of arms.
Fun facts
- The steamship on the coat of arms, the Guayas, was the first seagoing steamship built in South America.
- The zodiac signs around the sun stand for the months March to July 1845, when a revolution took place.
- The yellow stripe is as tall as the blue and red stripes put together.
- Without its coat of arms, Ecuador's flag looks exactly like Colombia's.
Easy to mix up with
Colombia
VenezuelaQuestions
What does the flag of Ecuador look like?
Ecuador's flag has three horizontal stripes, a wide yellow one on top, then blue and red, with the national coat of arms in the centre.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Ecuador mean?
Yellow: the crops and the fertile land; Blue: the ocean and the clear sky; Red: the blood of the heroes who died for the country and for freedom; Coat of arms: the volcano Chimborazo, the Guayas River with the steamship Guayas, a golden sun with zodiac signs, and an Andean condor on top.
When was the flag of Ecuador adopted?
The current flag of Ecuador was adopted on September 26, 1860. (the colours were brought back in 1860; the coat of arms was added in 1900 and the official ratio of 2:3 was set out in 2009 rules)
What colours are on the flag of Ecuador?
The flag of Ecuador uses yellow, blue and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Ecuador?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Colombia. Colombia has the same stripes in the same order, but no coat of arms
Famous landmarks in Ecuador
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)