Costa Rica Flag

Meaning of the Flag

The horizontal stripes of the Costa Rican flag represent various features and characteristics of Costa Rica, such as opportunities, wisdom, peace, and the generosity of Costa Ricans. We’ll go into more detail about these colors and their meaning in the next section.

The coat of arms represents the isthmus between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The coat of arms also features seven stars, which represent Costa Rica’s seven provinces. The text “Republica de Costa Rica” – or Republic of Costa Rica – is featured in this design, as well as the text “America Central,” a nod to the United Provinces of Central America.

Colors of the Flag

The main colors of the Costa Rican flag are red, white, and blue. There are five horizontal bands, including one large red one in the center surrounded by two smaller white bands and two smaller blue bands.

The color red represents the generosity of Costa Ricans and the blood spilled by those defending the country. The color white represents happiness, wisdom, and peace. The color blue stands for opportunities, idealism, perseverance, and the sky.

The coat of arms features several colors, including blue, light blue, white, yellow, green, and brown.

History of the Flag

Until 1823, Costa Rica was an autonomous entity of the Spanish Empire, so multiple flags of the Spanish Empire were used prior to this time. In 1823, the nation used the flag of the United Provinces of Central America until its dissolution in 1841. After this time, the flag was modified.

The horizontal band design of the modern Costa Rican flag was created in 1848 following the 1848 Revolution and the French Second Republic. The coat of arms of the nation was also modified this same year and added to the flag. The coat of arms was again modified in 1906, and the flag was changed. This design has been in use since November 1906.