Flag of Costa Rica

What the flag of Costa Rica looks like

The flag of Costa Rica is made up of five horizontal stripes. From top to bottom, they are blue, white, red, white and blue. The red stripe in the center is twice as wide as each of the others. The flag's proportions are 3:5.

There are two versions. The civil flag is the plain five-stripe design, and any citizen may fly it. The state flag is used by government institutions and has the national coat of arms inside a white oval, placed toward the hoist on the red stripe. This is the version of the flag you will see on official buildings.

The coat of arms shows three volcanoes rising from the sea, with a Caribbean and a Pacific sailing ship on either side. A rising sun is behind the volcanoes, and above the scene there is a blue sky with white clouds and seven white stars. Ribbons with the words "República de Costa Rica" and "América Central" complete the emblem. The flag appears in small form in the Costa Rica flag emoji, and a larger image can be downloaded from the download page.

Costa Rica flag meaning and symbolism

The colors of the flag are linked to the ideals of the French Revolution of 1848: freedom, equality and brotherhood. Blue is said to stand for the sky, opportunities within reach, intellectual thinking and perseverance. White stands for clear thinking, happiness, wisdom and the peace of Costa Rica. Red stands for the warmth and generosity of the Costa Rican people, their love of life and the blood shed for freedom.

On the coat of arms, the seven stars represent the seven provinces of Costa Rica: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón.

History of the Costa Rican flag

Until 1821 the land of Costa Rica was covered by the various flags of the Spanish Empire. Costa Rica was then part of the Federal Republic of Central America, whose flag was a blue and white striped design, with the Costa Rican state seal added for the state. When the federation dissolved by 1841, Costa Rica based its flags on the Central American banner, and the 1840-42 version reversed the stripes to white-blue-white.

The change came in 1848, under President José María Castro Madriz. His wife, Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, an admirer of France, where revolution broke out that year, suggested adding a red stripe to the blue and white flag. The flag was officially adopted on 29 September 1848.

The basic flag has stayed the same since 1848; the only changes have been to the placement and design of the coat of arms on the state flag, which was updated to follow changes to the national coat of arms in 1906, 1934, 1964 and 1998.

Flags that look like the Costa Rican flag

The closest flag in appearance is the flag of Thailand. It also has five horizontal stripes in red, white and blue, but the order is reversed: Thailand has red, white, blue, white and red, with a wider blue stripe in the center. The Costa Rican flag is the opposite, with a wide red stripe in the center.