Flag of Colombia

The flag of Colombia was adopted on November 26, 1861 and consists of three horizontal stripes of yellow, blue and red in the appropriate order, with the yellow stripe twice as wide as the blue and red stripes and occupying half of the flag.

Meaning of the flag of Colombia

• The yellow color symbolizes the country's rich natural resources, sovereignty, harmony, and justice. There is also another interpretation, according to which the yellow color symbolizes the sun and agricultural prosperity;
• The blue color symbolizes the sky and oceans surrounding Colombia, and also reflects loyalty and vigilance;
• Red color emphasizes the bravery and sacrifices made during the struggle for independence, symbolizes valor and resilience, as well as the indomitable strength and determination of the Colombian people.

History of the Colombian flag

The Colombian flag, created in 1801, was proposed by Venezuelan General Francisco de Miranda. This flag consists of primary colors - yellow, blue and red. In 1811, Miranda and other representatives submitted the yellow, blue, and red flag to the Venezuelan Congress to be adopted as the national flag. It is called the "Mother Flag" because it is derived from the national colors of the Greater Colombia, which included Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. There are several theories that explain Miranda's choice of these colors. One claims that he was inspired by the Russian flag while in Russia, replacing white with yellow, which was associated with warmth and the tropics. Another version suggests that Miranda used these colors in appreciation of Christina Hall, who inspired him with her blond hair, blue eyes, and red lips. Third theories point to possible sources of inspiration, such as the flag of the Hamburg Guard or the Columbus Coat of Arms. However, the simplest version, which uses the colors of the rainbow, is very likely. 

The Miranda Tricolor became the national flag of New Granada because of the provinces' important role in the liberation movement from Spain. Each province had its own emblem that distinguished it from the others. The first symbol of the liberation movement was a ribbon on hats with the inscription "Viva la Junta Suprema de Santa Fe de Bogotá". The two-color ribbon, half yellow and half red, was chosen as the most convenient and simple. These colors are likely derived from the colors of the Spanish national flag, as the patriots of Bogotá wanted to remain part of the Spanish kingdom. The document presented by the scholars was ratified by the municipal authorities, and thus the red and yellow ribbon became the flag of Bogotá. The Cundinamarca created its flag in 1813 with blue, orange, and bright red colors that could have been borrowed from the flag of Bogotá or the flag of Francisco de Miranda. 

Between 1810 and 1812, the provinces of Colombia united to form the first republic in the country's history. There were two main provinces - the United Provinces of New Granada with the capital in the city of Tunga and the state of Cundinamarca with the capital in the city of Santafé de Bogotá. This led to a civil war that ended with the annexation of Cundinamarca by the United Provinces. Once stability was achieved, the provinces gathered for a congress in 1814, where a decision was made on national symbols. The flag raised by the city of Cartagena de Indias became the national flag of Colombia. Later, in 1815, the flag was replaced by a flag with three horizontal stripes - yellow, green and red.

New Granada used the Carthaginian flag as its national flag, but later replaced it with the Miranda flag, which was adopted during the time of the Great Colombia. One of the reasons for this replacement was that the tricolor of the Venezuelan flag was worn by the liberator Simon Bolivar, and the flag of New Granada accompanied him during his liberation campaigns. The Venezuelan flag was adopted as the national flag of New Granada in 1819. These flags were similar to the modern flags of Colombia, but had some differences in design.

After the breakup of Greater Colombia, the national governments of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador continued to use yellow, blue, and red on their flags. In 1830-1834, New Granada used the same colors as Greater Colombia, with different symbols and the motto "State of New Grenada". In 1833, Dr. Alejandro Vélez presented a flag design to Congress consisting of a yellow vertical central stripe and red and green squares forming stripes on either side of the central stripe. However, this design was not officially approved.

Eventually, on May 9, 1834, President Francisco de Paula Santander determined the colors and arrangement on the national flag of New Granada. The flag consisted of three vertical stripes of equal size - red, blue, and yellow - arranged in the appropriate order. This flag became the official national flag of New Granada. The flag existed in this form until November 1861, when the country changed its name to the United States of Colombia. Since then, the national flag of Colombia has not undergone any changes, except for the size, which was determined in 1965.