Five volcanoes appear in Nicaragua’s coat of arms on its flag.
The five volcanoes sit inside the central triangle of Nicaragua’s coat of arms, which is placed in the white band of the national flag. They symbolize the original five member states of the United Provinces of Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The emblem’s design comes from the symbols of the former Central American federation. Alongside the volcanoes are a rainbow, a rising sun and a Phrygian cap. The triangle represents equality, the rainbow peace and the cap liberty. Because the rainbow includes purple, Nicaragua’s flag is one of the relatively few national flags associated with that colour.
The flag was first adopted in 1908 and became officially established in 1971. Its blue-and-white layout also reflects the shared Central American flag tradition, which explains why Nicaragua’s banner resembles those of several neighbouring countries. The five volcanoes are symbolic rather than a literal count of every volcano in Nicaragua.