Flag of Chile

The flag of Chile consists of two equal-height horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square the same height as the white band in the canton, which bears a white five-pointed star in its center. It was adopted on 18 October 1817. The Chilean flag is also known in Spanish as La Estrella Solitaria (The Lone Star).

It has a 3:2 ratio between length and width, and is part of the stars and stripes flag family. The star represents Venus, significant to the country's indigenous Mapuches, symbolizing a guide to progress and honor. Blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the effort to achieve independence.

According to the epic poem La Araucana, the colors were inspired by those from the flag flown by the Mapuche during the Arauco War. "Flag Day" is held each year on July 9 to honor soldiers.

Design

The flag of Chile has two equal horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square in the top-left corner. Inside this blue square is a white five-pointed star. The flag’s length and width have a ratio of 3:2. The colors are often described as "turqui blue", white, and red.

	Blue	Red	White
RGB	0-57-166	213-43-30	255-255-255
Hexadecimal	#0039a6	#d52b1e	#FFFFFF
CMYK	100, 66, 0, 35	0, 80, 86, 16	0, 0, 0, 0

Display

In Chile, people can display the national flag freely. In the past, special permission was needed, but now anyone can show the flag without asking. Special days like Navy Day, National Day, and Army Day are times when the flag is often seen on buildings and homes.

The flag should always be treated with respect. There are rules about how to hang the flag, whether on a pole or on a wall, to make sure it looks right and is shown properly. The flag has a blue square with a white star, two horizontal bands of white and red, and is known as La Estrella Solitaria, meaning "The Lone Star."

Main article: Constitution of Chile
Main articles: coat of arms of the Republic, national anthem

History

During colonial times, Chile did not have its own flag and used symbols of the Spanish monarchy. One common symbol was the Cross of Burgundy, a red cross on a white background.

The Mapuche, the indigenous people of central-southern Chile, used symbols too. An old poem mentions their colors—blue, white, and red. These colors may have influenced Chile’s later flags.

As Chile moved toward independence, new flags appeared. The first, called the flag of the Patria Vieja, had three horizontal stripes: blue, white, and yellow. It was first raised in 1812. Later, during the war for independence, a new flag with blue, white, and red stripes was used briefly in 1817.

The current flag of Chile was officially adopted on 18 October 1817. It has two equal horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square in the top-left corner. Inside the blue square is a white five-pointed star. This design combines ideas from earlier Chilean flags and symbols used by the Mapuche people. The flag is also known in Spanish as La Estrella Solitaria, meaning “The Lone Star.”

Pledge to the National Flag

Each year on July 9, Chilean soldiers, sailors, airmen, and police officers make a special promise to their flag. They do this to honor brave heroes from an old battle.

The promise is different for each group but always includes a promise to serve the country well, protect its laws, and put the nation first.

Similarity to other flags

The flag of the U.S. state of Texas looks like the flag of Chile. Texas chose its flag in 1839, but Chile had a similar design much earlier, in 1817. Some people thought Texas copied Chile’s flag, but that is not true.

The flag of Cuba was inspired by Chile’s flag when Cuba was fighting for its freedom in 1868. Cuba used the same colors but arranged them differently. The Flag of Malacca, a state in Malaysia, has some of the same colors and design ideas as Chile’s flag, but the way they are put together is different.