Flag of Paraguay

Flag of Paraguay (obverse). Flag ratio: 11:20^[1]

Flag of Paraguay (reverse). Flag ratio: 11:20

Presidential Standard of Paraguay

The flag of Paraguay (Spanish: bandera de Paraguay) was adopted in 1842.^[2] Its design, a red–white–blue triband, was inspired by the colours of the French flag, believed to signify independence and liberty. The flag is unusual because it differs on its obverse and reverse sides: the obverse of the flag shows the national coat of arms, and the reverse shows the seal of the treasury. It was revised in 2013 to bring the flag towards its original design. It has a ratio of 11:20.

Description

Officially adopted in 1842 (following the Confederación que la Junte gouvernante d'Asunción),^[2] each side of this tricolour flag contains three equal, horizontal bands: red, white, and blue, with an emblem in the centre of the white band.^[2] The emblem on the obverse side is the national coat of arms of Paraguay: a yellow five-pointed star surrounded by a green wreath of palm and olive leaves tied with ribbons of the colour of the stripes, and capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY ("Republic of Paraguay" in Spanish), all within two concentric circles).^[2][3]

The colours of the flag are believed to be inspired from the flag of France to show independence and liberty, and the coat of arms represents the independence of Paraguay. The emblem on the reverse side is the seal of the treasury: a yellow lion below a red Phrygian cap on the top of a pole (symbolising liberty) and the words Paz y Justicia ("Peace and Justice").^[2] The differences in the obverse and reverse sides comes from the period when José de Francia was in power (1814-1840).^[4] In 2013 the flag was revised; the coat of arms was simplified and the design was brought closer to its original form.^[5]

Historical flags

• 

  First provisional flag of 1811. Ratio: 2:3

• 

  Second provisional flag of 1811. Ratio: 2:3

• 

  Third provisional flag, from 1811 to 1812. Ratio: 2:3

• 

  Flag from 1812 to 1826. Ratio: 1:2

• 

  Flag from 1826 to 1842. Ratio: 2:3

• 

  Flag from 1842 to 1954. Ratio: 2:3

• 

  Flag from 1954 to 1988. Ratio: 1:2

• 

  Flag from 1988 to 1990. Ratio: 3:5

• 

  Flag from 1990 to 2013. Ratio: 3:5

• 

  Reverse Flag from 1842 to 2013. Ratio: 3:5

See also

• Coat of arms of Paraguay
• Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse

References

1. Gaceta Oficial (17 July 2013), Presidencia de la República del Paraguay Ministerio del Interior (art. 5)
2. Alison Behnke (1 August 2009). Paraguay in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. pp. 69–. ISBN 978-1-57505-962-4.
3. Leslie Jermyn; Jui Lin Yong (1 September 2009). Paraguay. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 123–. ISBN 978-0-7614-4858-7.
4. "Paraguay flag". World Flags 101. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
5. "New Country Flags". Flags Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

External links

• Paraguay at Flags of the World