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All You Need to Know About The Flags of Central America

Published on
November 18, 2021 at 5:07:06 PM PST November 18, 2021 at 5:07:06 PM PSTth, November 18, 2021 at 5:07:06 PM PST

The very first thing you should know is how many Central American countries are there. Central America is home to seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Just like the land they are on; the flags of Central America are flamboyant and of vibrant colors.

 

Similarly, to other countries, each flag tells a (different) story. Let’s check them out.

 

The Flag of Belize

 

This Central American flag has more colors than any other national flag in the whole world — the exact number is twelve. What is more, it is very “young” too as the final image was accepted via a public competition in 1981.

 

The Belize flag is striking without any doubt as it is one of the rare flags that have two male characters that are shirtless and wearing white trousers. The one on the left is of mixed origin, while the other is Black. Both of them represent not only the people’s racial identity but the main economy branch — woodcutting.

 

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The Flag of Costa Rica

 

Most people are reminded of the French flag when they first notice the Costa Rican flag due to the same color shades. Nevertheless, the order is different, and the big central stripe is red, surrounded by white and blue.

 

(Buy Your Costa Rica Flag Here!)

 

 

The Flag of El Salvador

 

It is very easy to guess which Central American country this flag belongs to from the moment you see it — the flag has El Salvador written around its coat of arms.

 

El Salvador’s flag is filled with intricate details as well. There are the five volcanoes representing five former members of the federation. Then, five flags for the five former provinces of Central America.

 

To top it up, two laurel branches and a red hat adorn the flag too (the red hat stands for the end of slavery).

 

(Buy Your El Salvador Flag Here!)

 

The Flag of Guatemala

 

Just like it is the case with other Central American flags, the blue on the Guatemalan flag represents the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. If you know the following fact, however, it will be easy for you to recognize the Guatemalan flag due to its unique feature.

 

Namely, this is one of the mere three flags in the world that has weapons as a part of their coat of arms (the other two are Mozambique and Haiti). Two swords represent honor while the two rifles embody the will to defend the country by force if needed.

 

Besides these, there’s a Quetzal bird as a memory of the fight for independence.

 

(Buy Your Guatemala Flag Here!)

 

The Flag of Honduras

 

While it may seem rather plain compared to the rest of the Central American flags, the Honduras flag shows a very clear message.

 

The five stars in its middle section and the special order they are in (the shape of an X) are an obvious reminder of the Federal Republic of Central America. Interestingly, Honduras is the only country to retain the stars on its flag, which suggests they would enjoy uniting once again.

 

(Buy Your Honduras Flag Here!)

 

The Flag of Nicaragua

 

Yet another flag with five volcanoes, standing for the original five states of Central America.

 

The triangular emblem is quite extraordinary due to another symbol that is not to be found on other flags, and that is the rainbow over the volcanoes. It has nothing to do with LGBTQ rights, though. The rainbow is a symbol of hope for the bright future for the people of Nicaragua.

 

Finally, the red hat as the recognizable symbol of ending the slavery times.

 

(Buy Your Nicaragua Flag Here!)

 

The Flag of Panama

 

Similar to the Honduras flag in the sense it is plain, without storytelling details, the flag of Panama represents two parties: the Liberal, and the Conservative Party.

 

The red stands for the conservative party while liberals are blue. On the other hand, the red star stands for the new law in the country whereas the blue one represents purity.

 

One more fun fact about the Panama flag: it was designed by María de la Ossa de Amador, who was the first lady back in 1903. As the story goes, she found inspiration for the symmetrical flag in one of her son’s drawings.

 

(Buy Your Panama Flag Here!)

 

 

 

 

Sources:

www.joaoleitao.com/flags-north-america/

www.worldatlas.com/articles/5-things-you-should-know-about-central-america.html