The flag of the Republic of Chile is an integral symbol of statehood, like the coat of arms and anthem of the country.
Description and proportions of the flag of Chile
Chile's national flag has a length to width ratio of 3: 2. It is a three-color rectangle, the lower half of which is bright red. The upper half of the flag is divided into two unequal parts. One third of it, closest to the shaft, is made in blue. There is a white five-pointed star on the blue field. The rest of the field at the top of the flag is white.
The red color of the flag of Chile is a symbol of the blood shed by the patriots of the state in the struggle for the country's independence. Blue is the cloudless Chilean sky, and white is the Andes mountain range with eternal glaciers on its peaks. The five-pointed star on the Chilean flag is the country's guide to new heights, success and glory.
The flag of the president of the country practically repeats the state flag with the only difference that the country's coat of arms is applied in the middle of it. The coat of arms of Chile on the presidential flags is a heraldic shield, the top of which is blue and the bottom is red. The center of the shield is occupied by a five-pointed star, and is crowned with a helmet emblem - a sultan of blue, white and red feathers. On the sides of the shield are the symbols of the country - the South Andean deer and the Andean condor. The crowns on their heads symbolize the maritime prowess of the state, and the animals rely on an ornament intertwined with a ribbon with the country's motto. Translated from Spanish, it sounds "By persuasion or compulsion."
The flag of the naval forces of the Republic of Chile is a blue square with a white five-pointed star at an equal distance from its edges.
History of the flag of Chile
The author of the flag of Chile is believed to be Antonio Arcos, who was not only a military engineer, but also a participant in the armed struggle for the independence of the continent from the colonialists. The flag was officially approved in 1817, when the Spaniards were utterly defeated during the liberation battles, and the country gained independence.
Chile's flag has not changed for almost 200 years, despite all the events in the country's political life and repeated coups d'état.
The country's coat of arms appeared in 1834, and was invented by a citizen of the British crown, Charles Wood Taylor. Today, the creation of the British adorns the flag of the South American republic and symbolizes the freedom-loving spirit and rebellious disposition of the Chilean people.
