Flag of Paraguay
Paraguay's flag has three sideways stripes, red, white and blue, with a round emblem in the middle that is different on the front and the back.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 15, 2013the red-white-blue flag with two different emblems dates from 1842; the emblems were simplified by decree on 15 July 2013
- Shape (height : width)
- 11:20
- Capital
- Asunción
- Continent
- South America
- Colours
- red
- white
- blue
- yellow
- green
What it means
- Red: patriotism, courage, heroism, equality and justice
- White: purity, firmness, unity and peace
- Blue: calm, love, knowledge, truth and liberty
- Front emblem: yellow star in a wreath: the Star of May, recalling independence in May 1811
- Back emblem: lion and liberty cap: the treasury seal, with the motto Paz y Justicia, Peace and Justice
Where it came from
The red, white and blue colours are thought to be inspired by the French tricolour. Paraguayan troops carried flags in these colours as early as 1806, and the earliest recorded red-white-blue tricolour dates from 15 August 1812, the year after independence from Spain.
History
In 1811 a plain blue flag with a white star was used for a time, and under the ruler Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia (1814 to 1840) the custom began of putting a different emblem on each side. The emblems were first described exactly in 1842.
In 2013 a decree simplified both emblems: the lettering became black, the blue disc behind the star was removed, and the shape was set at 11:20.
Fun facts
- Paraguay is the only country whose flag has a different design on each side.
- On the back, a lion guards a red liberty cap on a pole.
- Its three colours are the same as those of the Netherlands' flag.
- The 2013 decree even chose the typeface for the lettering: Arial Black.
Easy to mix up with
Netherlands: The Netherlands has the same three colours in the same order, but no emblem
Croatia: Croatia is red-white-blue too, with a red-and-white checkered shield in the middle
Questions
What does the flag of Paraguay look like?
Paraguay's flag has three sideways stripes, red, white and blue, with a round emblem in the middle that is different on the front and the back.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Paraguay mean?
Red: patriotism, courage, heroism, equality and justice; White: purity, firmness, unity and peace; Blue: calm, love, knowledge, truth and liberty; Front emblem: yellow star in a wreath: the Star of May, recalling independence in May 1811; Back emblem: lion and liberty cap: the treasury seal, with the motto Paz y Justicia, Peace and Justice.
When was the flag of Paraguay adopted?
The current flag of Paraguay was adopted on July 15, 2013. (the red-white-blue flag with two different emblems dates from 1842; the emblems were simplified by decree on 15 July 2013)
What colours are on the flag of Paraguay?
The flag of Paraguay uses red, white, blue, yellow and green.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Paraguay?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Netherlands. The Netherlands has the same three colours in the same order, but no emblem
Famous landmarks in Paraguay
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)