Colombia Flag Colors, Meaning & History

Colombia flag
Color Palette
ColorsHEX CodeRGBCMYK
Yellow#E3BD17227, 189, 230, 17, 90, 11
Blue#0038930, 56, 147100, 62, 0, 42
Red#CE1126206, 17, 380, 92, 82, 19

The national flag of Colombia is made of three horizontal stripes colored yellow, blue, and red. The upper stripe is yellow, and it takes half of the flag, while the blue and red stripes take one-quarter of the flag each.

Meaning of the Colombian Flag

The yellow color represents the abundance of gold in the country, while the blue represents the two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, that surround its shores. The red stands for the blood spilled to gain independence.

History of the Colombian flag

Colombia started its journey toward independence from Spain in 1810. Different cities were part of the rebellion. However, each area had its own flag during the rebellion. In 1819, Simon Bolivar won against the Spanish and proclaimed independence. The tricolour flag was officially adopted in December 1819. The reason for the choice of colors is unclear, however, it is said that the colors were taken from the flag of Spain while adding the blue color indicated the ocean that separates Colombia from Spain. Others claim that the colors are taken from the coat of arms given to Christopher Columbus upon his arrival in America. In 1934, the flag was changed from horizontal to vertical, and a white, eight-pointed star was added to the center. In 1861, the horizontal yellow-blue-red flag was officially adopted, with a slight change making the yellow part twice as large as the red and blue parts.