Chile

Trivia

The original coat of arms that featured at the centre was removed in 1834.

Technical Specifications

Adopted

18th October 1817

Proportion

2:3

Design

A white and red horizontal bicolour with a blue square in the top left corner inside of which is a white five-pointed star.

Buy Chile National Flag

Brief History

The first flag flown in Chile was the war flag of the Mapuche. The flag is a plain blue field with a white eight-pointed star, called guñelve in the centre. At this time the burgundy cross flag was flown by the invading Spanish army in Chile.

The War Flag of the Mapuche (1506 – 1701)

The Burgundy Cross (1541 – 1785)

When the Spanish took control of Chili in 1785 the country adopted the Spanish national flag. At the time it was a horizontal banded red-yellow-red flag with the Spanish coat of arms in the centre left.

When Chile gained independence in 1812 ‘Patria Vieja’ flag was adopted. This was a simple blue, white and yellow horizontal tricolour. The English translation of Patria Vieja is ‘our fatherland’.

The Spanish National Flag (1785 – 1812)

The Flag of Chile (1812 – 1814)

An alternative Patria Vieja flag was also chosen that reverses the white and blue bands and adds the Chilean shield and Cross of Santiago in the top left hand corner.

In 1814 the Army of the Andes were holding military campaigns in Chile. The flag flown was a white and blue bicolour with the coat of arms of Argentina in the centre.

The Alternative Flag of Chile (1812 – 1814)

The Flag of the Army of Andes (1814 -1817)

In 1817 the national flag of Chile was changed again to a blue-white-red horizontal tricolour and in 1918 a new tricolour was proposed with the blue and white bands swapped and a white five-pointed star in the centre.

The Flag of Chile (1817-1818)

The Proposed Flag of Chile (1818)

In 1818 the flag was changed again to feature a white and red horizontal bicolour with coat of arms in the centre and a blue square with white five-pointed cross in the left hand corner. The coat of arms was removed in 1934 and is still flown today. The flag can be displayed either horizontally or vertically.

The Flag of Chile (1818-1834)

The Flag of Chile (1934 to Present Day)

The Coat of Arms of Chile

The Coat of Arms of Chile was adopted in 1834. It features a gold-bordered blue and red bicolour shield with white star. On left hand side is a crowned huelmul and the on the right hand side is a crowned condor. Above are blue, white and red feathers and below is a banner stating “BY REASON OR FORCE”.