Flag of Costa RicaRepública de Costa Rica

What the flag looks like

The Costa Rican flag consists of five horizontal bands: blue at the top and bottom, white stripes inside them, and a red center band twice as wide as each of the others. The national flag (bandera nacional) is the plain version used by citizens, while the state flag (bandera de estado) adds the Costa Rican coat of arms in the center of the red band. The proportion is 3:5. It was adopted on 27 November 1906.

Colors and meaning

Blue represents the sky, opportunity, idealism and perseverance of the Costa Rican people, white represents peace, wisdom and happiness, and red represents the warmth, generosity and blood shed by Costa Rican patriots for independence. The design was inspired by the French Tricolore.

Blue

Represents the sky over Costa Rica, and the ideals of opportunity, intellectual pursuit and perseverance of the Costa Rican people.

White

Represents peace, wisdom and happiness. Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and has been a peaceful democracy since — white reflects this national identity.

Red

Represents the warmth and generosity of the Costa Rican people, and the blood shed by patriots in the struggle for independence.

Origin

The design was created in 1848 by Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, wife of President José María Castro Madriz. She was inspired by the French Tricolore and added the red band to the existing blue-and-white flag of the time.

Coat of arms (state flag)

The state flag includes the Costa Rican coat of arms, which features three volcanoes, a rising sun, two oceans with ships, and seven stars representing the seven provinces of Costa Rica.

History and adoption

Costa Rica declared independence from Spain in 1821 as part of the Mexican Empire, then joined the United Provinces of Central America in 1823. During that period, Costa Rica used the blue-and-white stripes of the federation. When Costa Rica became fully independent in 1838, it continued using blue and white. In 1848, Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, wife of President José María Castro Madriz, designed a new flag inspired by the French Tricolore, adding a red center band to the existing stripes. The flag was formally adopted on 29 September 1848. The coat of arms has been modified several times, and the current flag proportions were standardized on 27 November 1906. The flag has remained unchanged since.

Key facts

Adopted

27 November 1906

Proportion

3:5

Designer

Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno

Capital

San José

Country code

CR

Similar flags

Thailand, North Korea

Historical and related flags

Costa Rica has used several flags across its colonial, federal and independent periods, and today uses three official variants.

• Spanish colonial (pre-1821): Spanish flag used during colonial rule.
• United Provinces of Central America (1823–1838): Blue-white-blue stripes of the federation.
• Independent Costa Rica (1838–1848): Plain blue-white-blue tricolor.
• Current design (1848–present): Blue-white-red-white-blue with red center band added.
• National flag (bandera nacional): Plain version without coat of arms.
• State flag (bandera de estado): With coat of arms, used by the government.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Costa Rica look like?

The flag of Costa Rica has five horizontal bands: blue (top and bottom), white (middle stripes) and red (center band, twice as wide). The state flag adds the Costa Rican coat of arms in the center of the red band. The proportion is 3:5.

When was the flag of Costa Rica adopted?

The current flag of Costa Rica was officially adopted on 27 November 1906.

What do the colors mean?

Blue represents the sky, opportunity, idealism and perseverance of the Costa Rican people, white represents peace, wisdom and happiness, and red represents the warmth, generosity and blood shed by Costa Rican patriots for independence. The design was inspired by the French Tricolore.

Which flags look similar to the Costa Rica flag?

Thailand uses red-white-blue-white-red horizontal bands — the reverse color order with red on the outside. North Korea uses blue-white-red with a red star. Costa Rica's blue-white-red-white-blue is distinct from both.