Country flag
Guatemala Flag
Guatemala’s national flag is a blue-and-white vertical tricolour regulated by Decree No. 104-97. The law specifies a 5:8 rectangle with equal-width band...
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About Guatemala and its flag
Guatemala’s national flag is a blue-and-white vertical tricolour regulated by Decree No. 104-97. The law specifies a 5:8 rectangle with equal-width bands, blue at each outer edge and white in the middle. Official explanations associate the colours with civic values, and the national arms are customarily displayed at the centre.
Flag design and meaning
The 5:8 flag has three equal vertical bands: blue at the hoist, white in the centre, and blue at the fly. In the official presentation, the national arms appear on the centre band. They combine a quetzal, a parchment bearing the independence date, crossed weapons, and laurel branches.
- Blue bands: Congress explains that blue expresses strength, justice, truth, and loyalty.
- White band: Congress explains that white represents purity, peace, integrity, firmness, and light.
- National arms: The quetzal signifies freedom; the swords signify justice and sovereignty; and the laurel branches signify victory.
History and adoption
Guatemala observes Flag Day on 17 August, the date its blue-and-white flag was created in 1871 under the government of Miguel García Granados. The coat of arms has a separate legal milestone: Executive Decree No. 33 of 18 November 1871 gave it legal status. Decree No. 104-97, issued in 1997, regulates the modern flag and arms.
How to recognise this flag
- Look for three vertical bands in blue, white, and blue rather than a horizontal Central American tricolour.
- When the arms are displayed, identify the quetzal and parchment centred on the white band, within crossed weapons and laurel.
Guatemala flag quiz context
On Name The Flag, the Guatemala flag is currently grouped as hard difficulty for quiz progression.
Players may also want to compare it with Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which can appear as plausible flag distractors.
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