Flag of El Salvador
Three horizontal stripes of blue, white and blue, with El Salvador's coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe. The arms show a triangle with five volcanoes, a red cap and a rainbow, inside a laurel wreath.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 27, 1972current form set by the 1972 law on national symbols; the blue-white-blue design itself returned in 1912 and dates back to 1822
- Shape (height : width)
- 189:335
- Capital
- San Salvador
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- blue
- white
- gold
- green
- red
What it means
- Two blue stripes: the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) on either side of Central America
- White stripe: peace
- Triangle: the three branches of government
- Five volcanoes: the five original members of the Central American federation
- Red cap and rainbow: liberty, and peace
- Laurel wreath in 14 groups: the 14 departments of El Salvador
- Date 15 September 1821: the day Central America declared independence from Spain
Where it came from
The blue-white-blue stripes come from the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America, a union of five countries in the 1820s. Its colours are said to have been chosen by Manuel Jose Arce, who remembered the flag of Argentina's independence heroes.
History
In 1822 General Arce raised a blue-white-blue flag in San Salvador, reportedly made by his wife and sister. From 1865 to 1912 El Salvador used a very different flag with nine stripes and a red corner full of stars, which looked a lot like the flag of the United States.
In 1912 the country went back to blue-white-blue, and the 1972 law on national symbols set the exact design used today. A version with the motto "Dios, Union, Libertad" (God, Unity, Liberty) instead of the arms flies on public buildings.
Fun facts
- From 1865 to 1912 El Salvador's flag looked like the US flag, with stripes and stars.
- The full state flag has an unusual shape: 189 by 335.
- Nicaragua and Honduras also use blue-white-blue stripes from the same old federation.
- The coat of arms includes five small flags of the old Central American union.
Easy to mix up with
Nicaragua
HondurasQuestions
What does the flag of El Salvador look like?
Three horizontal stripes of blue, white and blue, with El Salvador's coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe. The arms show a triangle with five volcanoes, a red cap and a rainbow, inside a laurel wreath.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of El Salvador mean?
Two blue stripes: the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) on either side of Central America; White stripe: peace; Triangle: the three branches of government; Five volcanoes: the five original members of the Central American federation; Red cap and rainbow: liberty, and peace; Laurel wreath in 14 groups: the 14 departments of El Salvador; Date 15 September 1821: the day Central America declared independence from Spain.
When was the flag of El Salvador adopted?
The current flag of El Salvador was adopted on September 27, 1972. (current form set by the 1972 law on national symbols; the blue-white-blue design itself returned in 1912 and dates back to 1822)
What colours are on the flag of El Salvador?
The flag of El Salvador uses blue, white, gold, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of El Salvador?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Nicaragua. Nicaragua's emblem is round with the words around it and also has five volcanoes; El Salvador's arms sit in a green laurel wreath and its blue is darker
Famous landmarks in El Salvador
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- en.wikipedia.org
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)