Flag of Nicaragua, History, Culture
The flag of Nicaragua was adopted in August 1971. When Nicaragua got its independence of Spain in 1821 it joined the then existing federation of the United Provinces of Central America. Seventeen years later, however, the federation began to dissolve and Nicaragua was left as an independent state.
The blue and white pattern found on the Nicaragua flag is a common element of most Central American countries. Each of the members of the federation differentiated their own flag slightly. As an example, Costa Rica put a red stripe in their flag, Nicaragua and El Salvador have their coat of arms on their flag, Honduras put five stars on their flag and the blue and white stripes were turned vertical on the Guatemalan flag.
Symbolism:
The blue stripes of the Nicaragua flag represent two oceans: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The white stripe in the middle is symbolic of peace.
The modern day explanation of this flag is somewhat different however. It is said that the blue represents justice and loyalty and white symbolizes purity and virtue.
The coat of arms in the white stripe of the Nicaragua flag is made up of an equilateral triangle that stands for equality. Five volcanoes inside the triangle represent the five parts of the federation. Also inside the triangle is a red Phrygian cap, white rays and a rainbow. All this is symbolic of liberty and peace.
