Latine Flags: Why Are They So Alike?

We don’t often wonder what the flag of a certain country symbolizes, but since we’re in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, now is a good moment to get to know the significance of Hispanic countries’ flags, why some are so similar to each other and to reflect on the shared origin of our backgrounds. 

The countries where Spanish is the primary language are as follows: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

There are a few repetitions of color combinations- and even themes- that catch your eye when you look at the flags of these nations. One is yellow, blue and red. The flags of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela not only share these colors, but the flags themselves are also very much alike. And there is an explanation for this. 

The flags of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela

The three were once part of Gran Colombia (Great Colombia), which also included Guayana, Panama and parts of Peru, Nicaragua, and Brasil. General Francisco de Miranda created this flag and it was used for the first time in 1806. The yellow represents the sun, the blue the rivers and oceans, and the red the blood of the heroes who gave their lives for independence. 

The flags of Argentina and Uruguay.

The other combination in many Hispanic flags is light blue and white, seen in the ones from Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Uruguay. Argentina and Uruguay were part of the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata, so they both share colors and symbolism, although there are some differences. While Argentina’s flag has three horizontal bands and a sun in the middle, Uruguay’s flag has nine bands, representing the nine provinces the country had in 1920. The influence of the US flag is evident in the square to the left, where there is also a sun. And the tones differ slightly, with the former having light blue and the latter, a darker shade. 

The flags of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y Nicaragua

In 1824, when Central America became independent from the Spanish Empire, the República Federal de Centro América emerged. This federation was formed by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and the flag was inspired by the one of the Provincias Unidas del Río de La Plata, so it shared the three horizontal bands: two light blue and one white in the center. The pattern was maintained as these countries- except for Costa Rica, which added red- gained their independence after the republic was dissolved. And Guatemala shifted the bands to a vertical position. 

The flags of Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay and Puerto Rico

There are also flags that share the combination of red, white and blue, like Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay and Puerto Rico. Some are very similar, like Cuba and Puerto Rico. And both of these two, along with the flags of Chile and Panama, have stars. 

Paraguay’s flag is quite unique, since it’s the only one that has two national coats of arms. On one side it has a star as a symbol of hope, and the intertwined palm and olive branches representing the glories of the country’s history. On the other it has the words “Peace and Justice”, a lion, which symbolizes the courage of the people, a pike (a symbol of its warrior virtue), and the Phrygian cap that represents freedom.

Flag of Mexico

And last but not least, the flag of Mexico boasts a colorful coat of arms: an eagle perched on a nopal, devouring a snake. The Eagle represents the Mexican god of the sun and war, and the serpent, the enemies of Mexico. The flag itself has three colors: green, for hope; white, for unity; and red, for the blood of the national heroes. 

The history of the hispanic flags and the repeated combination of colors and symbols are just another example of the fact that, no matter how different our origins may be, Latinos or those of us who have Hispanic ancestry share a common background. And Hispanic Heritage Month is just that: an invitation to reflect on the things that make us alike.