National flag of Bolivia

The flag of Bolivia, called ‘la Tricolor’, has three equal horizontal stripes: red, yellow and green. The one used by the state also carries the coat of arms in the centre; the citizens’ version goes without it. It is one of the few countries with two national flags: since 2009 it is accompanied by the Wiphala, the emblem of coloured squares of the Andean indigenous peoples.

How it came about

Bolivia declared its independence on 6 August 1825. Eleven days later, the assembly of the new country, called the Republic of Bolivar in honour of the liberator Simón Bolívar, approved its first flag: green and red with golden stars.

In the following years the flag was changed several times. The definitive one arrived in 1851, during the government of president Manuel Isidoro Belzu. A law of 31 October that year fixed the three current colours, and in 1888 a decree ordered the three stripes to be the same size and in this order: red at the top, yellow in the middle and green at the bottom.

How it has changed

In its first 26 years Bolivia had four different flags.

1. 

   1825-1826

   Green at the sides and red in the centre. The official flag carries five stars, one for each department of the country.

2. 

   1826-1831

   President Antonio José de Sucre replaces the stars with a yellow stripe on top and puts the coat of arms in the centre.

3. 

   1831-1851

   The three horizontal stripes appear, but with yellow on top and red in the middle.

4. 

   1851

   With Belzu the current order is adopted: red, yellow and green.

What it means

An 1888 decree explained the colours for the first time, and a 2009 decree revised them:

• Red

  the blood of the heroes who fought for the birth and defence of the country.

• Yellow

  the wealth and the natural resources.

• Green

  the richness of nature and hope.

• Coat of arms

  only on the state flag. It shows the hill of Potosí, famous for its silver, an alpaca and the sun.

Fun facts

1. A rainbow on the road

   According to tradition, in 1851 Belzu was travelling on horseback towards Oruro when he saw a rainbow in which red, yellow and green stood out, and he decided that those would be the colours of the flag. It is a popular tale, with no documents to prove it.

2. A navy without a sea

   Bolivia lost its coastline in the War of the Pacific, in 1879-1884, but keeps a navy that sails on Lake Titicaca and the rivers. Its flag carries a large star that symbolises the lost sea.

3. Two flags at once

   Since the 2009 Constitution, at official events the Tricolor flies alongside the Wiphala, which is placed to its left.

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