🇨🇷

Flag of Costa Rica

North America

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Quick Facts

Capital
San José
Flag adopted
1906
Population
5,309,625
Area
51,100 km²
Languages
Spanish
Currency
Costa Rican colón (₡) — CRC
Demonym
Costa Rican
Government
presidential republic
Subregion
Central America
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC-06:00
Independence
1821

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 47.5%
  • None 27%
  • Evangelical 19.8%
  • Other 3.1%
  • Jehovah's Witness 1.4%
  • Protestant 1.2%

About This Flag

The flag of Costa Rica consists of five horizontal bands — blue, white, red (double width), white, and blue — with the national coat of arms on a white oval on the hoist side of the red stripe (on the state flag variant). The blue represents the sky, opportunity, and perseverance.

White symbolizes peace, wisdom, and happiness. The wider red stripe represents the blood shed for freedom, the warmth of the people, and their generosity.

The design was inspired by the French tricolor and was created by Pacifica Fernandez Oreamuno, the wife of then-president Jose Maria Castro Madriz. The flag was adopted on November 27, 1906, in its current proportions.

What the colors & design mean

Blue represents the sky, idealism, and perseverance. White symbolizes peace, happiness, and wisdom. Red stands for the blood of those who died for Costa Rican freedom, the warmth of the people, and their generous spirit.

blue white red

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (2)

🇳🇮 Nicaragua 🇵🇦 Panama

Fun Facts

  • The flag was designed by Pacifica Fernandez Oreamuno, the First Lady, who was inspired by the French Revolution's tricolor — making it one of the few national flags designed by a woman.
  • Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948, redirecting military spending to education and healthcare — making it one of the few countries in the world with no standing army.
  • Costa Rica's name means 'Rich Coast' in Spanish, named by Christopher Columbus in 1502 during his final voyage to the Americas.
  • Despite being smaller than West Virginia, Costa Rica contains roughly 5% of the world's biodiversity and has placed over 25% of its territory under environmental protection.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇨🇷 Cape Verde 🇨🇷 Liberia 🇨🇷 Cambodia 🇨🇷 Laos 🇨🇷 North Korea

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