Flag of Bolivia

Meaning and history of the flag of Bolivia

The flag of Bolivia is made up of three equal horizontal stripes: red on top, yellow in the middle, and green on the bottom. Red represents the blood shed by the heroes of independence, yellow symbolizes the country's mineral wealth, especially its tin and other metal deposits, and green embodies the fertility of the land and hope.

The state version of the flag includes the coat of arms at the center of the yellow stripe, depicting the Cerro Rico of Potosí, an alpaca, a sheaf of wheat, a palm tree, and other elements representative of Bolivia's geography and economy. Bolivia also has a second official flag, the wiphala, a square banner of seven-colored checkered squares arranged diagonally that represents the Andean indigenous peoples and was recognized as a national symbol in the 2009 constitution.

Bolivia's flag shares its colors with several other Latin American and African flags. Leaving the emblems aside, it is nearly identical in color to the flags of Ghana and Ethiopia, reflecting how widespread the red-yellow-green combination is. It was adopted on October 31, 1851, and its design has remained essentially unchanged since, making it one of the oldest flags in continuous use in South America.

You can view the flag of Bolivia in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Bolivia profile, its map, or the current local time in Sucre (constitutional) and La Paz (seat of government).