Flag of Bolivia

Bolivia
La Tricolor
('The Tricolor')
UseCivil flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag[1]
Proportion15:22
Adopted31 October 1851; 173 years ago (1851-10-31)
DesignA horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green
Designed byManuel Isidoro Belzu
UseState flag and ensign, war flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag[1]
Proportion15:22
Adopted31 October 1851; 173 years ago (1851-10-31)
DesignA horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green with the coat of arms
Designed byManuel Isidoro Belzu
Wiphala
Dual flag
UseNational flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion1:1
Adopted7 February 2009
DesignBanner composed of a 7-by-7 square patchwork in seven colours, arranged diagonally.
Maritime Flag
UseNaval ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag[2]
Proportion2:3
Naval jack
Naval Jack
Proportion1:1
DesignA red, yellow and green square.
The Wiphala and the tricolor flying on the presidential Palacio Quemado in La Paz.

The national flag of the Plurinational State of Bolivia was originally adopted in 1851. The state and war flag is a horizontal tricolor of red, yellow and green with the Bolivian coat of arms in the center. According to one source,[3] the red stands for Bolivia's brave soldiers, while the green symbolizes fertility and yellow the nation's mineral deposits.

State Flag of Bolivia on flagpole

According to the revised Constitution of Bolivia of 2009, the Wiphala is considered a national symbol of Bolivia (along with the tricolor flag, national anthem, coat of arms, the cockade; kantuta flower and patujú flower).[4]

Despite its landlocked status, Bolivia has a naval ensign used by navy vessels on rivers and lakes. It consists of a blue field with the state flag in the canton bordered by nine small yellow five-pointed stars, with a larger yellow five-pointed star in the fly. The nine small stars represent the nine departments of Bolivia, and the larger star the nation's right to access the sea (access that it lost in 1884 in the War of the Pacific).

Description

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Design and dimensions

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The national flag of Bolivia is described as a tricolor rectangle, with the colors red, yellow and green, in a ratio of 1:1:1, meaning three horizontal bands, with the red on the superior part occupying a third of the flag's width, yellow in the middle band using the same width, and green in the inferior part, using the last third.[5]

The dimensions of the flag had not been defined since its adoption in 1851. Supreme Decree No. 27630 of 2004 finally established that the size of the national flag be of 7.5 squares width by 11 squares long, giving a ratio of 15:22.

Color and symbolism

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The first description of Bolivia's national flag, together with the significance of these, were first established by the Supreme Decree of 1888 during the government of President Gregorio Pacheco, which specifies that:

  •   Red: "represents the blood shed by our heroes for the birth and preservation of the Republic"
  •   Yellow: "represents our wealth and resources."
  •   Green: "represents the richness of our natural areas as well as hope, a foundational value of our society"

The exact colors of the Bolivian flag have been established by the Supreme Decree of 2004:[6]

Color model Red Yellow Green
Pantone 485[7] Process Yellow[7] 356[7]
RGB 218–41–28[8] 244–228–0[9] 0–122–51[10]
RGB hex triplet #DA291C[8] #F4E400[9] #007A33[10]
CMYK C0 M95 Y100 K0[8] C0 M0 Y100 K0[9] C91 M0 Y100 K26[10]

The colours of the tricolor can also be found in the Bolivian Wiphala. The Wiphala has been included into the national colours of the Bolivian Air Force such as on the executive Dassault Falcon 900EX.[11] The Wiphala is also officially flown on governmental buildings such as the Palacio Quemado and parliament alongside the tricolor since the introduction of the revised 2009 constitution.[12]

Historical flags

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The 1831–51 flag on a cigarette card

The current Bolivian flag has been officially adopted 31 October 1851 during the presidency of Manuel Isidoro Belzu.

According to Supreme Decree No. 27630 of 19 July 2004, during the presidency of Carlos Mesa, it was established that the civil flag used in civic, public and patriotic celebrations will be used without the National Shield, while the flag used by the state in official acts will include the shield in its center.

During the presidency of Evo Morales, through Supreme Decree No. 241 of 5 August 2009, some symbolic modifications were made to the flag. It was also established that for both the civil flag and the flag used by the State in official acts they should be raised on the right side and the wiphala on the left side.

  • Colonial flag, Spanish Empire flag (1506–1825/1821 in Peru, and Bolivia), (1506–1785/1701 in other colonies), (1506–1821 in Philippines)
    Colonial flag, Spanish Empire flag (1506–1825/1821 in Peru, and Bolivia), (1506–1785/1701 in other colonies), (1506–1821 in Philippines)
  • Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1825–1826)
    Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1825–1826)
  • Bandera Mayor, State flag (1825–1826)
    Bandera Mayor, State flag (1825–1826)
  • Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1831–1851)
    Bandera Menor, Civil flag (1831–1851)
  • Bandera Mayor, State flag (1831–1851)
    Bandera Mayor, State flag (1831–1851)
  • Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839)
    Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839)
  • A square flag made of thirteen diagonal arrangements of colored squares, following a rainbow pattern towards the center, the squares in the center being white.
    Wiphala banner (used since 2009, Incan)
  • Former naval ensign of Bolivia (1966–2013)
    Former naval ensign of Bolivia (1966–2013)
  • Flag of the Armed Forces of Bolivia
    Flag of the Armed Forces of Bolivia
  • Flag of the patujú flower
    Flag of the patujú flower

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b France. Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine (2000). Albums des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives (in French). Brest: SHOM. ISBN 2-11-088247-6. OCLC 468544080.
  2. ^ "Bolivian naval ensign".
  3. ^ Torre, Manuel Alejandro De la (16 December 2023). "Flags of Bolivia: A Symbol of Pride and Identity". Zelosos por Buenas Renovables. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Artículo 6. II. Los símbolos del Estado son la bandera tricolor rojo, amarillo y verde; el himno boliviano; el escudo de armas; la wiphala; la escarapela; la flor de la kantuta y la flor del patujú." (Article 6. II. State symbols are the flag tricolor red, yellow and green; the Bolivian national anthem; coat of arms; the wiphala; the cockade; the flower of kantuta and the flower of patujú.) Constitution of Bolivia Archived 24 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Bandera de Bolivia". Bolivia.com. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  6. ^ DeveNet S.R.L./LexiVox. "Bolivian Flag". Lexivox.org. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Gaceta Oficial del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia" (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "PANTONE 485 C - Find a Pantone Color". Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "PANTONE Process Yellow C - Find a Pantone Color". Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "PANTONE 356 C - Find a Pantone Color". Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Photos: Dassault Falcon 900EX Aircraft Pictures - Airliners.net". Airliners.net. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Por decreto, el Ejecutivo fija dos fechas fechas de fundación del país". Eju.tv. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
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