Flag of Guatemala

Meaning and history of the flag of Guatemala

Guatemala's flag is made up of three vertical stripes: sky blue on the outer edges and white in the center. In its official version, the national coat of arms sits at the center of the white stripe. It was adopted on August 17, 1871, though the blue-and-white color scheme traces back to the flag of the United Provinces of Central America of 1823.

The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that border Central America, while the white stripe symbolizes purity and peace. The central coat of arms features a quetzal, the national bird and a symbol of liberty, perched atop a scroll bearing the date of Central American independence, September 15, 1821. Two crossed Remington rifles and two swords also appear, representing readiness to defend the nation's sovereignty.

Guatemala stands apart from other Central American flags by using vertical rather than horizontal stripes, and by its particular shade of sky blue. The quetzal on the coat of arms is a distinctive element linking the flag to the country's Maya heritage, since the bird was sacred to the Maya. The flag bears some resemblance to Argentina's in color, though the two differ notably in layout.

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