Flag of Costa Rica

The flag of Costa Rica consists of two stripes of white, two stripes of blue and a central red stripe twice as wide. The national flag was adopted on September 29, 1848 and is used without a coat of arms, unlike the state flag, which was adopted on November 27, 1906 and is authorized for use only by the government.

Meaning of the Costa Rican flag

• Red represents the blood shed by the nation's heroes in the struggle for freedom;
• White stands for wisdom, peace, happiness and energy;
• Blue represents the sky and oceanic opportunities offered by the country's coastline.

These colors represent the national pride and democratic spirit of the Costa Rican people, and reflect the forward-looking values and peaceful philosophy of the nation. The flag is an important national symbol that expresses the values of Costa Ricans - democracy, peace and wisdom.

The coat of arms of Costa Rica, which is depicted on the national flag, consists of various elements, each of which has its own symbolic meaning:

• The golden circles symbolize coffee beans, which play an important role in the culture and are an integral part of the country's industry;
• Three smoky green mountains represent the three main volcanic ranges of Costa Rica: Iras, Poas and Arenal;
• The green area under the volcanoes represents the central valley of Costa Rica;
• Two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic, are depicted on either side of the mountains and indicate the geographical location of the country;
• Merchant ships symbolize the ports of Costa Rica;
• The sun is a symbol of hope;
• Seven white stars symbolize the seven provinces: San José, Cartago, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, Limón and Puntarenas.

These symbols reflect the national spirit, pride in democracy, and the desire for progress.

History of the Costa Rican flag

After Guatemala declared its independence on September 15, 1821, the provincial assembly convened by the government on May 10, 1823, decided to temporarily adopt a white flag with a red star in the center. 

On August 21, 1823, the National Constituent Assembly of the United Provinces of Central America granted the new state a flag. The flag consisted of three horizontal stripes, blue at the top and bottom and white in the center, on which the coat of arms was depicted. When Costa Rica joined the Central American Republic on March 6, 1824, it adopted this flag.

On November 2, 1824, the flag of the United Provinces of Central America was approved, consisting of three horizontal stripes: blue, white and blue, with the coat of arms of the United Provinces in the center of the white stripe and the coat of arms of the state of Costa Rica in the lower blue stripe.

In 1840, the national flag returned to using a single coat of arms in the center, but the order of the stripes changed. Now the blue stripe was in the center, and the two white stripes were from top to bottom. This version of the flag was used for only two years, until 1842.

The current tricolor flag and the central motif of the coat of arms appeared during the reign of Dr. Jose Maria Castro in 1848.

The flag was a tricolor banner of five stripes placed horizontally in the following sequence: a red stripe, twice as wide as the others, in the center, between two white stripes, each followed by a blue stripe. The coat of arms of the Republic is embroidered in the center of the red stripe.

The concept and design of the current flag, which has been in use since this year, was developed by Mrs. Pacifica Fernández Orimuno, wife of the then Head of State, Dr. José María Castro Madríz, and was inspired by the flag of France.