Flag of Panama
Panama's flag is divided into four squares: white with a blue star, red, blue, and white with a red star.
At a glance
- Adopted
- 1925first hoisted in 1903, approved provisionally in 1904 and definitively by law in 1925; official colours were set by decree in 2017
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Panama City
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- blue
- red
- white
What it means
- Blue and red: the two old political parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals; sources do not fully agree on which party is which colour
- White: peace between the two parties, and purity
- Blue star: purity and honesty
- Red star: authority and law
Where it came from
Panama separated from Colombia on 3 November 1903. The flag was sketched by Manuel Encarnacion Amador, son of Panama's first president, Manuel Amador Guerrero, and sewn in secret by Maria de la Ossa de Amador, the president's wife. Some official accounts credit the president himself as the designer.
History
Before that, the wife of Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a Frenchman involved in the Panama Canal deal, offered a design with stripes and two suns, based on the US flag. Panama's leaders turned it down because it looked too much like the American flag.
In the very first version the blue square was in the top left; the squares were later moved around. The flag was approved by law in 1904 and confirmed in 1925, and the exact colours were fixed in 2017.
Fun facts
- The first flag was made quickly and in secret by the future first lady.
- Panama celebrates Flag Day on 4 November, the day after it separated from Colombia.
- Its four-square pattern is very unusual among national flags.
- An early proposal looked so much like the US flag that it was rejected.
- Official shades of blue and red were only set by decree in 2017.
Questions
What does the flag of Panama look like?
Panama's flag is divided into four squares: white with a blue star, red, blue, and white with a red star.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Panama mean?
Blue and red: the two old political parties, the Conservatives and the Liberals; sources do not fully agree on which party is which colour; White: peace between the two parties, and purity; Blue star: purity and honesty; Red star: authority and law.
When was the flag of Panama adopted?
The current flag of Panama was adopted on 1925. (first hoisted in 1903, approved provisionally in 1904 and definitively by law in 1925; official colours were set by decree in 2017)
What colours are on the flag of Panama?
The flag of Panama uses blue, red and white.
Famous landmarks in Panama
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)