Flag of Costa Rica

Country

Flag of Costa Rica uses five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag. Ratio 3:5, current adoption September 29, 1848 and design credited to Pacifica Fernández.

Hoist Ratio 3:5 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Costa Rica
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Costa Rica
Identifier	CR / CRI
Region	Central America

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	September 29, 1848
First Documented Use	1848
Proportion	3:5
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, White, Red
Designer	Pacifica Fernández
Construction	Five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue	#002B7F	0, 43, 127	100, 66, 0, 50
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the sky, opportunity and perseverance.
White	peace, wisdom and happiness.
Red	the warmth of the people and the blood shed for freedom.
Red central band	Added under the influence of the French Revolution.
Coat of arms	Three volcanoes, two oceans and seven stars for the seven provinces, shown on the state flag only.

Proportions

Ratio	3:5
Hoist	3 units
Fly	5 units

About the Flag of Costa Rica

Five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag The recorded proportion is 3:5. Within this library it is grouped with horizontal multi-band designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Costa Rica is Blue (#002B7F), White (#FFFFFF) and Red (#CE1126). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Red central band: Added under the influence of the French Revolution; Coat of arms: Three volcanoes, two oceans and seven stars for the seven provinces, shown on the state flag only.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1848. The adoption field for the present record is September 29, 1848. The designer is recorded as Pacifica Fernández.

Additional flag context

The blue and white bands come from the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the red band was added in 1848 under the influence of the French Revolution, which also gave the country its republican constitution that year.

The civil flag has no coat of arms. The version with the arms is the state flag, and the arms themselves were redrawn in 1998 to show seven stars for seven provinces.

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949, so the flag has never flown over a standing military — unusual among the countries whose flags carry a martial red.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag, a 3:5 proportion and the visible red central band. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Costa Rica — Specialist vexillological reference

Other horizontal multi-band flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is recorded as five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag.
The reference proportion for the flag of Costa Rica is 3:5.
The stored palette for Costa Rica contains Blue, White and Red.
The adoption field for this country flag record is September 29, 1848.
The design record traces first use to 1848.
Pacifica Fernández is credited in the dataset as the designer of the flag.
Its construction is grouped with the horizontal multi-band design family in this library.
Red central band: Added under the influence of the French Revolution.
Coat of arms: Three volcanoes, two oceans and seven stars for the seven provinces, shown on the state flag only.
The blue and white bands come from the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the red band was added in 1848 under the influence of the French Revolution, which also gave the country its republican constitution that year.
The civil flag has no coat of arms. The version with the arms is the state flag, and the arms themselves were redrawn in 1998 to show seven stars for seven provinces.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Costa Rica

What does the flag of Costa Rica look like?

Five horizontal bands, with the coat of arms on the state flag, with a recorded proportion of 3:5.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Costa Rica?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 3:5.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Costa Rica?

The reference palette lists Blue #002B7F, White #FFFFFF and Red #CE1126.

What do the symbols on the flag of Costa Rica represent?

Red central band — Added under the influence of the French Revolution. Coat of arms — Three volcanoes, two oceans and seven stars for the seven provinces, shown on the state flag only.

When was the present flag record for Costa Rica adopted?

The adoption field in this record is September 29, 1848.

Who designed the flag of Costa Rica?

The designer is recorded as Pacifica Fernández.

Which design family does the flag of Costa Rica belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with horizontal multi-band designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.