Flag of Ecuador: meaning, history

A flag of EcuadorIt is a national symbol of the country. Completed in 1900, it features the colors yellow, blue and red, which have particular meanings, but which are inspired by the theory of primary colors by the German writer Goethe. This color scheme was used in the flag of the territory of Gran Colombia, and today it is identified in other South American flags. In the center of the Ecuadorian pavilion is its coat of arms, which represents as much the history of the country and the subcontinent as its natural landscapes.

Read too: Flag of Costa Rica — a flag whose colors refer to perseverance, peace and struggle undertaken by the people

Topics of this article

  • 1 - Summary about the flag of Ecuador
  • 2 - Meaning of the flag of Ecuador
    • → Meaning of the colors of the flag of Ecuador
    • → Meaning of the symbols of the flag of Ecuador
  • 3 - History of the flag of Ecuador
  • 4 - Main characteristics of Ecuador
  • 5 - Curiosities about the flag of Ecuador

Abstract about the flag of Ecuador

  • The flag of Ecuador is a national symbol of the country.

  • It is formed by three horizontal bands, each of a different color. The yellow band is twice the width of the others, and is followed by the blue and red colors.

  • In the center of the flag is the coat of arms of Ecuador.

  • The composition of colors was made following Goethe's theory of primary colors.

  • The yellow on the flag represents soil fertility; the blue, the sky and the ocean; red, the blood of those who fought for Ecuador.

  • The coat of arms features a wealth of details that symbolize the history and elements of the Ecuadorian natural landscape.

  • The design of the flag of Ecuador that we know today was adopted in 1900, with the addition of the coat of arms. In 2009, it gained its current proportions.

Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)

Ecuador flag meaning

The flag of Ecuador is onecountry's national symbol. It has a rectangular shape and is composed of three horizontal stripes, each of a different color. The yellow stripe is the first from top to bottom, and its width is twice as wide as the others. Following are the blue and red stripes, both with the same dimensions. The Ecuadorian coat of arms appears in the center of the flag.

The conquest of freedom and independence from Spain and wealth are the values ​​represented by the flag of Ecuador as a whole. We will see, below, what each of the colors and each of the symbols represent individually.

Flag of Ecuador.
The flag of Ecuador is formed by the colors yellow, blue and red, with its coat of arms in the center.

Meaning of the colors of the flag of Ecuador

The colors of the flag of Ecuador are yellow, blue and red. Its composition was made taking into account the primary color theory dthe writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who shared it with Francisco de Miranda, creator of the design of the Ecuadorian flag in 1811 and one of the main names in the struggle for independence in Spanish America. According to the German writer, the colors symbolized warmth (yellow), excitement and serenity (blue) and elation (red).

Subsequently, the colors of the flag of Ecuador gained new meanings, which were added to the previous ones.

  • Yellow: represents the fertility and vastness of Ecuadorian soils.

  • Blue: represents the blue sky and the Pacific Ocean, which borders Ecuador.

  • Red: it represents the blood of those who gave their lives fighting for the country.

Meaning of symbols on the flag of Ecuador

The symbol present on the flag of Ecuador is the country's coat of arms, added to the flag in 1900 and represented in the image below.

Ecuador's coat of arms, symbol present in the country's flag.
Ecuador's coat of arms, symbol present in the country's flag.

The Ecuadorian coat of arms presents a great wealth of details representing the country's natural diversity and important moments in its history.

  • Andean condor: endemic bird species South America. It represents the power and protective ability of the homeland.

  • Ship: receives the same name as the Guayas River, and represents the first ship ever built in South America.

  • Mountain: represents the Chimborazo mountain, the highest in Ecuador. When considered from the center of the planet Earth, it is even larger than the myesterday everest.

  • Flags: represent the Ecuadorian flag itself.

  • Sun and zodiac symbols: represent the March Revolution of 1845, also called the Marcist Revolution, a revolt against the Ecuadorian government that broke out in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

  • Shield: inside it are the other symbols, with the exception of the flags and the condor. It represents the protection and security of Ecuador.

History of the Flag of Ecuador

the flag of ecuador has gone through a series of transformations throughout its history., following the political and territorial transformations that the country went through. The first flag to be adopted was that of Spanish colonization, which featured the symbol of the Cross of Burgundy stamped in red on a white background.

During the Quiteñan Revolution (1809-1812), which fought for Ecuadorian independence from Spain, the The same flag was used, but with inverted colors: the white cross on a red background.

The first Ecuadorian national flag was adopted in 1820, and consisted of five stripes alternately light blue and white, with three white stars in the center strip. There was another alteration in 1822, with a change only in the design and maintenance of the colors. O traditional yellow-blue-red tricolor scheme came into use between 1822 and 1830, only when Ecuador became part of Grand Colombia.

After leaving Gran Colombia, in 1830, Ecuador officially adopted a flag with three horizontal bands in the same colors as it does today, but all of the same size and without the coat of arms in the center, as established in 1835. During the March Revolution of 1845, light blue and white became an integral part of the Ecuadorian flag, resuming the tricolor scheme only from 1860, with the dimensions today known.

The coat of arms was officially added to the flag of Ecuador in 1900, although the rectangle still had different dimensions than today. The version used today of the Ecuadorian flag was established in the year 2009, when it acquired the proportions 2:3.

See too: Flag of Argentina — the flag of another country in South America

Main characteristics of Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in South America located on the west coast of the subcontinent. Its capital is the city of Quito. The most striking feature of the relief ecuadorian is the wAndes mountain range, separating the coastal plain from the Amazon region, to the east. the country's climate varies from tropical hot and humid until O mountain cold, on the highest peaks, where the snow it is permanent.

Also noteworthy is the location of Ecuador in thePacific Ring of Fire, the region of greatest tectonic instability on the planet. For this reason, active volcanoes are found in the country and large earthquakes have already been felt. The most intense of them, which scored 7.8 on the Richter scale, happened in 2016.

Landscape of Quito, capital of Ecuador, where many flags of the country are hoisted.
Landscape of Quito, capital of Ecuador.

The Ecuadorian population is now 17,888,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in cities. The country's two largest urban centers are Guayaquil and Quito, which together account for nearly 5 million people. With a medium development index, Ecuador has a economy driven by the export of Petroleum and exploitation of natural resources, with the respective industries harnessed, still taking advantage of the richness of its soils to the agricultural activity.

Facts about the flag of Ecuador

  • From Spanish colonization to the present, Ecuador has had 10 official flags.

  • Flag Day is celebrated on September 26 in Ecuador.

  • Each of the Ecuadorian provinces has its own flag. The flag of Guayas is the same used as a national symbol in 1820.

  • The flag of Ecuador is often confused with that of Colombia and the one from Venezuela because the color composition is the same.

By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher

Learn how the conquest of Spanish America happened and how the natives found in these lands were dominated by the Spanish.

Click and learn all about the Andes Mountains. Find out how it was formed and which countries it crosses. Get to know the fauna and flora of the Andes and understand their importance.

Access and discover Ecuador. Read about its geography, history, economy and culture. Check out some curiosities about this South American country.

Discover the history of Ecuador, from the discovery of Ecuador to independence.

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