The Story Behind the Colorful & Distinctive Flag of Costa Rica. .

And what a beautiful flag it is indeed! The Costa Rican people are so very proud of this prestigious symbol of their country that they love so much.

This beautiful flag was designed in 1848 by Pacifica Fernandez, the wife of former Costa Rican President, José María Castro Madriz. The First Lady was truly inspired by the colors of the flag of the ‘French Second Republic’ flown after the 1848 Revolution and decided to turn her initial thoughts into reality.

The colors of the Costa Rica Flag have significant meaning. The dark blue color represents the sky, idealism, opportunities and perseverance. The white stripes stand for peace, wisdom and happiness. The color "red" signifies the blood that was shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of all of the Costa Rican people.

If you look towards the middle of the flag, you will see a Coat of Arms, or shield. There is deep cultural meaning to this symbol as well. The rising sun typifies the country and its people's continuing search for prosperity. The seven stars in the sky represent the seven provinces. . Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas & San Jose. The tiny gold circles on either side represent the 'magic golden beans'. . coffee, a very important part of the Costa Rican economy. Looking closer at the emblem, you will notice 3 volcanoes that all seem to be erupting. This represents the 3 mountain ridges that cross the country. A green valley with two oceans on each side is the symbol for the Central Valley, the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There are two boats on each body of water, which signifies our commercial ports. The sun that is rising stands for progress, freedom and hope.

The National Flag of Costa Rica is designed as a horizontal rectangle and features five horizontal bands of blue, white and red. There are two blue bands, one at the top of the flag and another at the bottom, a thicker red band in the center and two white bands in between. Costa Rica's national Coat of Arms is found on a white disk and is placed towards the left side of the red band of the flag.

Being a part of the Spanish Empire, Costa Rica used the Spanish flag until its independence in 1823. Costa Rica joined the "Federal Republic of Central America" and retained the earlier blue / white / blue flag that was used by the "United Provinces of Central America" until 1848. In response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added to the flag. The design of Costa Rica's flag has been totally revised two times since its adoption, first in 1964 and then again in 1998. It was changed to match the modifications made to the country's Coat of Arms. The flag's original design included the Coat of Arms in the center of the flag, but it was moved toward the left edge when the flag was modified again in 1906.

On November 12 of every year, a special day has been set aside to celebrate the national flag. It is a national symbol that has been proudly flown over the years with great pride by Costa Ricans in all corners of the country. This day celebrates when it was first raised in 1848 in the main square of San José, which is known as "Central Park".

The national flag must always be placed on the right side of a room, platform, stage or venue. There can only be one national flag displayed in a given space. When you enter an enclosure with a flag present, those in the room already must stand up.

The flag represents the daily life here in Costa Rica. . a life with no army. If you’re looking for the Latino version of Switzerland, you’ve come to the right place. In Costa Rica, they don’t have any armed forces whatsoever. That makes Costa Rica very different from almost everywhere else in Central and South America.

Costa Rica has the oldest democracy in Latin America. Their government has been a total democracy since 1948. While other countries like Nicaragua and Argentina have had many uprisings and civil wars, Costa Rica has had one of the most stable governments in Latin America for dozens of years.

When you’re surrounded by blue skies, fresh air and green forests, it’s easy to relax. That’s why Costa Ricans have a way of life. . a saying. . a mindset. It's called “Pura Vida”! It’s a way of remembering to take things slow and enjoy one's life. . ONE DAY at a TIME.

You're invited to visit our websites at: www.costaricagoodnewsreport.com & www.costaricaimmigrationandmovingexperts.com

Also, please enjoy our over 2,000 episodes of our "Costa Rica Minute / Costa Rica Pura Vida Lifestyle Podcast Series". We are found on all major podcast venues, including iHeartRADIO, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Radio FM, Anchor & many more. Here's our link: www.anchor.fm/costa-rica-pura-vida