Nicaragua Flag - Republic of

Nicaragua and the other countries of Central America  gained their independence from Spain in 1821. With Spain's departure, the former Spanish Colonies of Central America come together and formed the United Provinces of Central America. (a.k.a. The Federal Republic of Central America).  The new federation adopted a flag consisting of three horizontal stripes - the top and bottom blue and the middle white. The Coat of Arms of the federation was positioned in the centre of the flag.

The blue-white-blue pattern of the Nicaraguan flag is common to all  Central American countries. Each as a former member of the United Provinces of Central America has found a way to differentiate its flag - Costa Rica added a red stripe in the middle, Nicaragua and El Salvador added their coats of arm, Honduras added five stars, and Guatemala changed the stripes to vertical. In 1838, the federation dissolved and Nicaragua become an independent state retaining the blue-white-blue flag until 1854. The flag was re-instated in 1908 with the inclusion of the State's coat of arms.

The current flag of Nicaragua retains the three horizontal stripes - The two blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; while white symbolizes peace.  Inside the center of the white stripe, and at the center of the flag, is the country's coat of arms. A modern interpretation indicates that the color blue symbolizes justice and loyalty; while the color white represents virtue and purity. The coat of arms features an equilateral triangle which represents equality. Inside the triangle are five volcanoes, which represent the five former members of the federation. The triangle also contains symbols of liberty and peace - represented by a red Phrygian cap, white rays and rainbow. The Flag was officially readopted for official use on August 27, 1971.

Flag Measures 36 in x 60 in and is 100% polyester with grommets for easy flying.