Flag Overview
What does the flag of Guatemala look like? The Guatemalan flag consists of a blue, white, and blue vertical band with the National Emblem of Guatemala in the middle of the white band. This version of the flag of Guatemala was adopted in 1871.
Meaning of the Flag
The Guatemalan flag features two horizontal blue stripes on the outer edges. These stripes are meant to represent that the nation is locked between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The color of the stripes also represents the sky over the nation. The middle stripe represents peace and purity. The nation’s coat of arms is also located in the center of the flag. The national bird is the quetzal, which is featured in the design. This bird symbolizes liberty. The coat of arms also has a scroll that has the date of September 15, 1821, which is when Central America became independent from Spain. There are two crossed rifles that symbolize how the nation is willing to use force to defend itself, the laurel crown that symbolizes victory, and the cross swords that represent the honor of the nation.
Colors of the Flag
There are two main colors featured in the Guatemalan flag. Sky blue is used for the outer stripes, which represent the two surrounding oceans as well as the sky above. The middle stripe is white in color. The national coat of arms features multiple colors, including green and brown.
History of the Flag
The original flag of Guatemala was the flag of Central America. This flag was used until 1851, when new colors were added to the flag. The Spanish colors of red and yellow were added. It was in 1871 when a flag bearing the original colors was restored. However, the stripes were changed from vertical to horizontal and a new coat of arms was added. This became the national flag of Guatemala and has not changed since it was adopted in 1871.
Flag Facts
The colors of the Guatemalan flag are based on the colors used in the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.
The Guatemalan flag has a couple of different nicknames. “Pabellon Nacional” is one nickname, which means National Flag. The other nickname is “Azuliblanco” or “Blue and White.”
