The Nicaragua flag is a flag that represents the people of Nicaragua. Nicaragua, officially known as the Republic of Nicaragua is a country located in Central America. It is the largest country in Central America, with a population of six million, including the people of mestizo, who are of indigenous, European and African heritage. Managua is the capital city and the third largest in Central America
The official language is Spanish as the region was conquered by Spain in the 16th century. However, the indigenous tribes on the Mosquito Coast speak their languages and English. Nicaragua gained independence in 1821. Since its independence, the country has gone through years of political unrest, dictatorship, occupation and fiscal crisis, including the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the Contra War of the 1980s.
Nicaragua is best known for its Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, the second-largest rainforest in the Americas. Also, the biological diversity, warm tropical climate and active volcanoes make the country a popular tourist destination.
Nicaragua is a co-founder of the United Nations and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of American States, Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
What is the Nicaragua flag?
Nicaragua flag is the national flag of the Republic of Nicaragua. It is the national symbol of the people. Inspired by the flag of Argentina and the Federal Republic of Central America, the Nicaragua flag consists of three horizontal stripes: two azure stripes sandwiching a white stripe with a coat of arms. In the middle of the flag is the coat of arms which contains a triangle, volcanoes, a rising sun, a Cap of Liberty and a rainbow. Surrounding the coat of arms is the name of the state, Republica de Nicaragua and America Central.
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The Nicaragua flag is one of only three national flags in the world that currently uses purple colour. The other two countries are El Salvador and Dominica.
Nicaragua flag history
In 1823, the flag of the United States of Central America was used as the flag of Nicaragua. The flag consisted of a blue-white-blue horizontal triband with a modified coat of arms at the centre. Another flag consisting of a blue-bordered coat of arms represented the United Provinces of Central America during this period.
In 1925, the Federal Republic of Central America and the Nicaraguan flag were modified to reflect the new oval coat of arms. Between 1852 and 1854, an unofficial white-yellow-red horizontal tricolour with a green mountain was recognised to come from Nicaragua. However, a yellow-white-tan horizontal tricolour national flag was officially adopted in 1854.
In 1856, an American mercenary, William Walker, became an unrecognised ruler of Nicaragua. During his reign, an unofficial flag with a blue-white-blue pattern and a red star in the middle was adopted. From 1858 to 1873, Nicaragua returned to its roots, using the blue and white striped flag. The difference was that the coat of arms was missing. The country also adopted this flag from 1893 to 1896.
In 1896, the flag featured a lighter shade of blue and a coat of arms added to the central white stripe. In November 1899, the flag spotted a darker shade of blue and also included a new coat of arms, with five gold stars and the words “Republic Mayor De Centro America,” which translates to “the Greater Republic of Central America.”
In 1908, Nicaragua officially adopted a new flag which resembled the United Provinces of Central America flag with changes in the coat of arms and a lighter shade of blue. The flag is still used to this day.
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Nicaragua flag meaning
Nicaragua’s flag reflects the aspirations for the rebirth of the political entity formed by the five nations. The five volcanoes in the coat of arms represent the original five member states, the Cap of Liberty represents national freedom and the rays of the sun and the rainbow symbolise the bright future to come.
Nicaragua flag colours
The Nicaragua has horizontally striped blue-white-blue colours, with a width-to-length ratio of 3 to 5. The purple colour in the rainbow makes the country one of the three sovereign states to have that colour on their national flags.
Bonus point
Worthy to note is the Mosquito Coast, an autonomous territory of Nicaragua which was colonised by the British in the 17th century. Nicaragua took control of the coast in 1860 and militarily incorporated it into its borders in 1894. In 1960, the northernmost part of the Mosquito Coast was transferred to Honduras.
The Mosquito Coast has also used several flags. Under British rule from 1844 to 1860, the region modified the Nicaraguan flag featuring nine white and blue stripes and the Union Jack at the top left corner. After it became part of Nicaraguan territory in 1860, the Mosquito Coast adopted a white, blue, and red coat of arms which replaced the Union Jack.
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