Flag of Chile

Meaning and history of the flag of Chile

Chile's flag, known as La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star), was adopted on October 18, 1817. It is divided into two horizontal halves: the bottom half is red and spans the full width of the flag, while the top half is split into two sections. The section nearest the hoist is a blue square containing a centered white five-pointed star, and the remaining section is white.

Blue represents the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white stands for the snow of the Andes mountains, and red evokes the blood shed by the heroes of independence. The lone star is a symbol of guidance and progress, and some historians also link it to the Arauco star of the Mapuche people. Chile's flag bears a striking resemblance to the flag of the U.S. state of Texas, adopted later in 1839, which frequently causes confusion. The main difference is that on the Chilean flag the blue occupies only a square in the upper corner, while on the Texas flag the blue stripe runs the full height of the flag.

You can view the flag of Chile in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Chile profile, its map, or the current local time in Santiago.