The middle color of the flag of Colombia is blue. Colombia’s national flag is a horizontal tricolor arranged from top to bottom as yellow, blue, and red, making blue the central band.
The design descends from the yellow, blue, and red flag associated with Francisco de Miranda and the independence movements of northern South America. These colors were later shared by the former state of Gran Colombia, which helps explain the visual similarities among the flags of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
A common mix-up is assuming that Colombia uses three equal stripes, as many tricolor flags do. Its bands are unequal: the yellow stripe occupies half the flag’s height, while the blue and red stripes each occupy one quarter. The blue band is therefore both the middle color and one of the two narrower stripes.
Colombia officially adopted the current arrangement on November 26, 1861. The colors are also commonly connected with national ideals such as sovereignty, justice, loyalty, and the sacrifices made during independence.