Flag of Colombia

Meaning and history of the flag of Colombia

Colombia's flag was adopted on November 26, 1861, and consists of three horizontal stripes: a yellow band on top spanning half the flag's height, with blue and red bands each taking up a quarter of the remaining height. This tricolor design is credited to General Francisco de Miranda, a forerunner of Spanish American independence, who reportedly drew inspiration from a conversation with Goethe about the theory of primary colors.

Yellow stands for wealth and the country's abundant natural resources, especially gold. Blue symbolizes the two oceans that border Colombia, the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as its skies and rivers. Red evokes the blood shed by patriots in the struggle for independence. Colombia's flag shares the same colors and horizontal layout with those of Ecuador and Venezuela, a legacy of Gran Colombia, the state founded by Simón Bolívar that once united all three nations. The differences lie in stripe proportions and in the coats of arms or additional elements each country adds to its official version.

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