Flag of Honduras
Honduras's flag has three horizontal stripes, blue, white and blue, with five blue stars in the middle of the white stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- February 16, 1866created by decree in 1866; a 1949 decree set the star layout and a turquoise blue. Turquoise was used from 2022 to 2026, and in January 2026 the flag went back to the navy blue used for decades before
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Tegucigalpa
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- turquoise blue (navy blue is also used)
- white
What it means
- Two blue stripes: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which border the country; also the sky and brotherhood
- White stripe: the land between the two seas, and the peace and purity of the people
- Five stars: the five nations of the old Central American federation (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the hope that they may unite again
Where it came from
Honduras was one of the members of the Federal Republic of Central America after independence from Spain in 1821. The federation used a blue-white-blue flag, which was itself based on Argentina's flag. Honduras's own flag, created in 1866, kept that design and added the five stars.
No individual designer is named in the sources.
History
A 1949 decree confirmed the position of the stars and named a turquoise shade of blue. In practice, though, a dark navy blue was used for about 73 years.
In 2022 President Xiomara Castro's government brought in turquoise flags. In January 2026, after a change of government, the flag officially went back to navy blue. Because the colour has changed back and forth, both blues can still be seen in Honduras.
Fun facts
- The five stars are arranged like the dots on a dice showing five.
- Honduras was the first Central American country to use a blue-white-blue flag.
- The colour of the blue has been a political topic: turquoise and navy flags both fly in Honduras.
- From 1896 to 1898, when Honduras was part of a larger Central American union, some flagmakers drew the stars in gold, though that version was never official.
Easy to mix up with
Nicaragua: Nicaragua also has blue-white-blue stripes, but with its coat of arms in the middle instead of stars
El Salvador: El Salvador has the same stripes with its coat of arms or a motto in the middle
Argentina: Argentina has light blue and white stripes with a golden sun
Questions
What does the flag of Honduras look like?
Honduras's flag has three horizontal stripes, blue, white and blue, with five blue stars in the middle of the white stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Honduras mean?
Two blue stripes: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which border the country; also the sky and brotherhood; White stripe: the land between the two seas, and the peace and purity of the people; Five stars: the five nations of the old Central American federation (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the hope that they may unite again.
When was the flag of Honduras adopted?
The current flag of Honduras was adopted on February 16, 1866. (created by decree in 1866; a 1949 decree set the star layout and a turquoise blue. Turquoise was used from 2022 to 2026, and in January 2026 the flag went back to the navy blue used for decades before)
What colours are on the flag of Honduras?
The flag of Honduras uses turquoise blue (navy blue is also used) and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Honduras?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Nicaragua. Nicaragua also has blue-white-blue stripes, but with its coat of arms in the middle instead of stars
Famous landmarks in Honduras
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- tunota.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)