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Flag of El Salvador

North America

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Quick Facts

Capital
San Salvador
Flag adopted
1912
Population
6,029,976
Area
21,041 km²
Languages
Spanish
Currency
United States dollar ($) — USD
Demonym
Salvadoran
Government
presidential republic
Subregion
Central America
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC-06:00
Independence
1821

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 43.9%
  • Protestant 39.6%
  • None 16.3%
  • Unspecified 0.2%

About This Flag

The flag of El Salvador consists of three equal horizontal bands of cobalt blue on top and bottom with white in the center, bearing the national coat of arms on the white stripe. The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that bracket Central America, while the white stands for peace and solidarity.

The coat of arms features a triangle (representing equality) containing five volcanoes (representing the five Central American nations), a rainbow, a Phrygian cap of liberty on a staff, and the date September 15, 1821 — the day Central America gained independence from Spain. The flag closely resembles those of the other former Federal Republic of Central America states.

It was adopted in its current form on May 27, 1912.

What the colors & design mean

Blue represents the two oceans flanking Central America. White symbolizes peace. The coat of arms' triangle represents equality, the five volcanoes represent the five original Central American states, the Phrygian cap represents liberty, and the rainbow symbolizes hope.

blue white

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (2)

🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇭🇳 Honduras

Fun Facts

  • El Salvador's flag is nearly identical to Nicaragua's and Honduras's — all three derive from the former Federal Republic of Central America (1823-1841) and use blue-white-blue horizontal stripes.
  • El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America, yet its name means 'The Savior' in Spanish, named after Jesus Christ.
  • The coat of arms includes the motto 'Dios, Union, Libertad' (God, Union, Liberty), reflecting the ideals of the Central American independence movement.
  • El Salvador is the only Central American country without an Atlantic (Caribbean) coastline — both blue stripes technically represent the Pacific Ocean and the broader Central American isthmus.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇸🇻 Israel 🇸🇻 Greece 🇸🇻 San Marino 🇸🇻 Honduras 🇸🇻 Nicaragua

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