A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Colombia.
Flag of Colombia
Adopted in 1861, Colombia’s flag features three horizontal stripes. The top stripe is yellow and takes up half of the flag’s height, symbolizing the country’s wealth and resources. Below it are two equal-sized stripes: the middle one is blue, representing the two ocean coastlines, while the bottom stripe is red, signifying the blood shed for independence.
Printable Colombia Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about the Colombian flag
1. Unlike most tricolor flags, Colombia’s top yellow band occupies half the flag’s height, while the blue and red each take one quarter (2:1:1 ratio).
2. The flag was inspired by the primary colors, red, yellow and blue.
3. Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador inherited their yellow-blue-red tricolor from Gran Colombia, the early 19th-century republic that once united them.
4. The tricolor was originally created by Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda decades before Colombia officially adopted it.
5. Colombia’s national coat of arms is used on the flag only in government and institutional contexts.
6. A Colombian flag was carried to the surface of the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission.
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Evolution of the Colombian flag
Flag of Gran Colombia (1821-1831)
The Flag of Gran Colombia featured three horizontal stripes of yellow, blue, and red, with a national coat of arms in the center. This flag later became the basis for the modern flags of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
State Flag of Colombia (1861–present)
The State Flag of Colombia features the national coat of arms centered on the yellow, blue, and red tricolor. It is used by government institutions and official state entities.
History of the Colombian flag
Origins in the independence movement (1801–1819)
The Colombian flag traces its origins to Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda, who designed the yellow, blue, and red tricolor in 1801 as a symbol for the liberation of Spanish America.
Miranda later raised the flag in 1806 during an expedition to Venezuela, and it became associated with independence movements across northern South America.
Miranda claimed that the colors were inspired by a conversation with the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who spoke about the harmony and symbolism of primary colors.
Miranda also cited other inspirations, including the yellow, blue, and red standard of the Bürgerwache of Hamburg, which he had seen during his travels in Germany.
Gran Colombia (1819–1830)
The tricolor was officially adopted in 1819 by the Congress of Gran Colombia, a republic that united present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The yellow, blue, and red design became the shared national symbol of this new state.
After Gran Colombia dissolved in 1831, its successor states retained variations of the tricolor, which explains the similarity between the modern flags of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Adoption of the modern flag (1861)
Although the tricolor had been used for decades, the current arrangement of Colombia’s flag was officially adopted on November 26, 1861.
The design established the distinctive 2:1:1 proportion, with the yellow stripe occupying half the flag’s height and the blue and red stripes each taking one quarter.
Later decrees in 1924 and 1934 further regulated the flag’s official use.
Modern regulation and use
Today, the Colombian flag is used as a national symbol by government institutions, the military, and civilians. While the plain tricolor is the national flag, the national coat of arms is required only in official institutional contexts, such as state and military use.
Explore more: South American flags or test your knowledge with our American flag quiz.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.