Flag of El Salvador

The flag of El Salvador was adopted on May 27, 1912 and consists of three horizontal stripes: two blue stripes at the top and bottom of the flag with a white stripe in the middle. The white stripe in the center of the flag depicts the coat of arms of El Salvador.

Meaning of the flag of El Salvador

• The white color symbolizes peace and solidarity, purity and harmony;
• cobalt blue stripes symbolize the El Salvadoran sky and two oceans - the Pacific and the Caribbean. This color also reflects El Salvador's connection with the Central American region.

The coat of arms of El Salvador was created by Rafael Barraza Rodriguez. The coat of arms has several symbolic elements that have inspired many writers and poets:

• The equilateral triangle symbolizes freedom, equality and fraternity;
• Two open seas symbolize the spirit of the people and represent communication with other free nations;
• Five volcanoes symbolize the courage of the nation;
• The sky symbolizes glory, heroism and sacrifice for freedom;
• The Phrygian cap is a symbol of liberation from a foreign yoke;
• The five blue and white flags are the legacy of El Salvador's heroes;
• The rainbow symbolizes the path to achieving the high destiny of Central America;
• The branches of the laurel tree symbolize the desire for glory, peace and progress, and their number (14) represents the departments that form the republic. 

Below the equilateral triangle is the phrase "God, Union, Liberty" which emphasizes the belief in a Higher Power, unity and harmony, as well as the indomitable libertarian spirit of the nation.

Alternative flags of El Salvador

In addition to the national flag with the coat of arms, two other flags can be used as official flags:

• The civilian flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes of blue and white, with a white stripe between the two blue stripes and no other symbols;

• The national flag is the same as the civilian flag, except that instead of the coat of arms, as on the national flag, the white stripe bears the motto "DIOS UNION LIBERTAD" in gold letters. The flag ratio is 3:5 - it is also used as a military and civilian flag.

History of the flag of El Salvador

The current flag of El Salvador was adopted by the National Assembly on August 21, 1823. The colors were chosen by Manuel José Arce when he was the leader of the Salvadoran militia that fought against the annexation of Central America to Mexico in 1822. Arce created the flag of the province of El Salvador from white and blue silk, inspired by the colors of the Argentine heroes San Martin and Belgrano. The flag was consecrated on February 20, 1822 and became the national symbol of El Salvador. However, the legislature did not adopt it as a national symbol until May 17, 1912. The President of the Republic, Manuel Enrique Araujo, raised the flag for the first time in a ceremonial ceremony at the presidential rostrum on September 15 of that year, officially making it the new national symbol.

The national flag of El Salvador in 1877 consisted of 5 blue and 4 white stripes. In the upper left corner was a red square with 14 white stars symbolizing the country's departments. The previous flag had only 9 stars (1865) because there were only 9 departments at that time, but over time the number of stars increased - in 1865 to 11, in 69 to 12, in 73 to 13, and finally, from 1877 to 1912, the number of stars increased to 14.

On May 17, 1912, the flag acquired a modern look, but for a short time from 1921 to 1922, the flag design was slightly changed - the blue color was replaced by blue, and the inscription "REPUBLICA FEDERAL DE CENTRO AMERICA" ("FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF CENTRAL AMERICA") appeared on the central coat of arms. In 1922, they returned to the previous design, and since then the flag has been used in this form.