The state flag of the Republic of Guatemala was officially approved in February 1885.
Description and proportions of the flag of Guatemala
The rectangular flag of the Guatemala flag is vertically divided into three fields equal in width. The part of the Guatemala flag closest to the pole and its free edge are bright blue, while the middle part is white. In the center of the white stripe is the country's coat of arms. The length and width of the Guatemala flag are relative to each other in a ratio of 8: 5.
The blue color on the Guatemalan flag is a symbol of a just society built on a tradition of legality and honor. The white field of the flag of Guatemala is the purity of the thoughts of its inhabitants, the desire of the people to live in peace and equality, to build good relations with neighbors. The colors of the flag of Guatemala originate from the cloth that flew on the flagpoles of the United Provinces. This federation existed in the first half of the 19th century in the lands of Central America.
The civil flag of Guatemala is identical in color and proportions to the state flag with the only difference that the country's coat of arms is not applied on it.
History of the flag of Guatemala
As part of the United Provinces, Guatemala flew under the federation flag, which was a rectangle with three equal horizontal stripes. The central one was white, and the two outer ones were blue. This flag existed until 1838, when Guatemala seceded from the federation of Central American states.
The flag of Guatemala was the same blue and white cloth, in the center of which was the coat of arms of the newly created state. Then the appearance of the flag of Guatemala changed several more times. In 1851, the cloth became four-color. The middle horizontal field remains white, and the outer stripes have changed. The top has become red-blue, and the bottom is yellow-blue. The four-color flag of the Guatemala flag existed in this form until 1858, when the state symbol of the country again underwent changes in its appearance.
There are now stripes of unequal width on the flag. The central horizontal field was made in yellow, it was surrounded by thinner red areas, then white ones, and blue thin stripes became the extreme top and bottom of the flag. This flag of Guatemala lasted until the coup d'état by the Liberals in 1871. Ultimately, in 1885, the flag of Guatemala was finally approved, which has remained unchanged to this day.
