| Colors | HEX Code | RGB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | #042A74 | 4, 42, 116 | 97, 64, 0, 55 |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 |
| Red | #CE1126 | 206, 17, 38 | 0, 92, 82, 19 |
The national flag of Costa Rica is tri-colored. It is made of blue, white, red, white, and blue stripes. The upper and lower stripes are blue. Then the white color appears below and above the upper and lower blue stripes. The middle stripe is red and is twice as wide as the other stripes.
Meaning of the Costa Rican Flag
The flag of Costa Rica is inspired by the French flag. The dark blue represents the sky, idealism, opportunities, and perseverance. The white stripes are the symbol of peace, wisdom, and happiness. The red stands for the blood spilled by martyrs defending the country, as well as the warmth and generosity of the Costa Ricans.
History of the Costa Rican Flag
Costa Rica was part of the Central American United Provinces. It flew the blue-white-blue flag, with a coat of arms in the center. Central America freed itself from Mexico in 1823. The United Provinces separated, and Costa Rica designed a flag based on the previous one. The flag that was adopted was white on the upper and lower sides of the flag, with a blue stripe in the middle. It was used between 1840 and 1842. In 1848, a new design was suggested by the first lady who was the wife of President José María Castro Madriz, who was an admirer of France, who was leading its own revolution in 1848. Upon her suggestions, the red stripe was made twice as wide as the other stripes to symbolize the rise of the first rays of independence in the country. The flag has not changed since then. However, the official flag used by the government includes a coat of arms on the middle stripe.