Flag of Guatemala
North America
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Guatemala City
- Flag adopted
- 1871
- Population
- 18,079,810
- Area
- 108,889 km²
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Guatemalan quetzal (Q) — GTQ
- Demonym
- Guatemalan
- Government
- presidential republic
- Subregion
- Central America
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC-06:00
- Independence
- 1821
Religions
- Evangelical 45.7%
- Roman Catholic 42.4%
- None 11%
- Unspecified 0.9%
About This Flag
The flag of Guatemala consists of three equal vertical bands — sky blue on the hoist and fly sides with white in the center — bearing the national coat of arms on the white stripe. The sky blue represents the Pacific and Atlantic oceans that border Central America, and the white symbolizes peace and purity.
The coat of arms features a quetzal bird (the national bird and symbol of liberty), a scroll bearing the date of Central American independence (September 15, 1821), two crossed Remington rifles, two crossed swords, and a laurel wreath. The quetzal is central to Guatemalan identity — its tail feathers were used as currency by the ancient Maya.
The flag was adopted on August 17, 1871.
What the colors & design mean
Sky blue represents the two oceans flanking Central America and the Guatemalan sky. White symbolizes peace, purity, and integrity. The quetzal on the coat of arms represents liberty — the bird was believed by the Maya to die in captivity, making it a symbol of freedom.
Pattern: Vertical Stripes
Bordering countries (4)
Fun Facts
- The quetzal bird on Guatemala's coat of arms is so central to national identity that it is also the name of the country's currency — the quetzal was sacred to the Maya and Aztec civilizations.
- Guatemala's flag changed from horizontal stripes to vertical stripes in 1871 during the Liberal Revolution, to distinguish it from the flags of other Central American states.
- Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and was the heartland of the ancient Maya civilization, home to the famous ruins of Tikal.
- The resplendent quetzal's long emerald tail feathers were used as currency by the Maya, and harming the bird was punishable by death — it was considered a crime against the gods.
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