Republic of Guatemala

Use	State and war flag, state and naval ensign
Proportion	5:8
Adopted	17 August 1871
Design	A vertical triband of Maya blue (hoist-side and fly-side) and white with the National Emblem centered on the white band.
Civil ensign
Use	Civil flag and ensign
Proportion	5:8
Adopted	17 August 1871
Design	A vertical triband of Maya blue (hoist-side and fly-side) and white.

Flag of Guatemala flying on an outdoor flagpole

Guatemalan child holding the flag of Guatemala

Members of the Armed Forces raising the flag during Flag Day

The national flag of Guatemala, often referred to as "Pabellón Nacional" (literally, "National Flag") or "Azul y Blanco" ("Blue and White") features two colors: sky blue and white. The two sky blue stripes represent the fact that Guatemala is a land located between two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean sea); and the sky over the country (see Guatemala's national anthem). The white signifies peace and purity. The blue and white colors, like those of several other countries in the region, are based on the flag of the former Federal Republic of Central America.

In the center of the flag is the Guatemalan coat of arms. It includes the resplendent quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala that symbolizes liberty; a parchment scroll bearing the date of Central America's independence from Spain, 15 September 1821; crossed Remington^[1] rifles, indicating Guatemala's willingness to defend itself by force if need be; a bay laurel crown, the symbol for victory; and crossed swords, representing honor. It is one of four national flags among UN member states that features a firearm, along with those of Mozambique, Haiti, and Bolivia.

It is one of five national flags that use the ratio 5:8, with the others being Argentina, Palau, Poland, and Sweden.

History

The Federal Republic of Central America flag was used in Guatemala until 1851, when a pro-Spanish faction took over and added the Spanish colors of red and yellow to the flag. The original colors were restored on 17 August 1871, but as vertical (rather than horizontal) stripes in order to distinguish it from other flags and with a new coat of arms.

The resplendent quetzal previously appeared in the 1830s in the flag of Los Altos, the sixth state in the Federal Republic.

In 2008 a flag called the Bandera de Los Pueblos (Flag of indigenous peoples) was adopted by law and is shown together with the national flag of Guatemala in all events featuring the President of Guatemala since then. The flag is divided in four parts, red, yellow, white and black, each colour representing Xinca people, Garifuna people, Maya people, and Ladino people, respectively.^[2]

These colours are also part of the Qʼanil, a Maya symbol in which each color represents a point of the compass, an element of nature and a part of the human being. Qʼanil means "seed" in Mayan languages, and is also one of the 20 days of the Maya calendar. Aimed at promoting "interculturality" in Guatemala, the Bandera de los Pueblos was received with disinterest by the leaders of the peoples, who do not seem to have been consulted.^[3]

Ethnic group flags

Flag	Use
	Bandera de los Pueblos, flag attributed to indigenous peoples.
	Flag of Garifuna

Government flags

• 
  Flag of the president of Guatemala
• 
  Flag of the vice president of Guatemala
• 
  Flag of the president of the Congress of Guatemala
• 
  Flag of the president of the Supreme Court of Justice Guatemala

Military flags

Flag	Use
	Flag of the Minister of Defence
	Flag of the Chief of the General Staff

Political flags

Flag	Use
	Flag of the National Liberation Movement
	Flag of the Guatemalan Party of Labour
	Flag of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity

Department flags

Flag	Department
		Alta Verapaz
		Baja Verapaz
		Chimaltenango
		Chiquimula
		El Progresso
		Escuintla
		Guatemala
		Huehuetenango
		Izabal
		Jalapa
		Jutiapa
		Petén
		Quetzaltenango
		Quiché
		Retalhuleu
		Sacatepéquez
		San Marcos
		Santa Rosa
		Sololá
		Suchitepéquez
		Totonicapán
		Zacapa

Historical flags

The Guatemalan flag has changed throughout history, arriving to its current design in 1871.

Flag	Date	Use
	1825–1838	Flag of Guatemala within Central America
	1838–1843	Flag of Guatemala
	1838–1840 1848–1849	Flag of the State of Los Altos
	1843–1851	Flag of Guatemala
	1851–1858	Flag of Guatemala
	1851–1858	State Flag of Guatemala
	1858–1871	Flag of Guatemala
	1858–1871	State Flag of Guatemala
	1871	Flag of Guatemala
	1871–1968	State Flag of Guatemala (variant, used before c. 1920s)

References