Costa Rica is a country steeped in history, and when it secured its independence, it designed a flag to represent itself and the local people. As with most flags, the features of the Costa Rican flag are highly symbolic, imbuing the design with additional meaning.
Overall, Costa Rica’s flag has remained relatively consistent for about 175 years, with most of the changes involving the presented coat of arms. Here’s a look at the history of the flag of Costa Rica, as well as the symbolism and meaning behind the design.
The History of the Costa Rican Flag
Initially, Costa Rica flew the flag of the United Provinces of Central America when it first separated from Mexico in 1823. That design featured three horizontal stripes, with the upper and lower stripes being blue and the central stripe being white. It also included a coat of arms.
When the nations of the United Provinces of Central America separated, Costa Rica based its new design on the previous one. However, it transitioned to a white-blue-white stripe pattern for a period, and it flew that version from 1840 to 1842.
The basis of the current Costa Rican flag was designed in 1848 by then-First Lady Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno. It was a tri-colored design featuring five horizontal stripes. The upper and lower stripes were blue, while the central stripe was red and designed to be twice the width of the other stripes. Between the blue and red stripes are white ones.
Over the years, a coat of arms was added and later modified. Updates to the coat of arms occurred in 1906, 1934, 1964, and 1998. The coat of arms is positioned in the red stripe but is off-center, sitting slightly to the left.
In Costa Rica, the flag with the coat of arms is considered the state flag, and it’s only flown for government use. The version without the coat of arms is classified as the civil flag, so it’s used by non-government entities and individuals.
The Symbolism of the Costa Rican Flag
The Costa Rican flag was primarily inspired by the French flag, as the French Revolution was taking place during its creation, and the First Lady admired the movement. Some of the ideals associated with that revolution include freedom, equality, and brotherhood, and those are sentiments reflected in the Costa Rican flag.
While some associate the various aspects of the Costa Rican flag with different meanings, the blue stripes are said to represent opportunity, intellectual thinking, perseverance, and the sky. The white stripes are associated with power, beauty, happiness, and wisdom, while the red is said to stand for independence, warmth, generosity, and freedom from bloodshed.
The coat of arms on the flag is also highly symbolic. The seven stars represent the provinces of the republic, while the volcanoes stand for the three mountain ranges in Costa Rica. The ships are symbolic of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the rising sun represents prosperity. The gold circles are said to represent coffee, which is a cash crop for the nation.
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