Guatemala’s flag features a coat of arms containing a resplendent quetzal bird.
The flag is a vertical triband of Maya blue, white, and Maya blue, with the national emblem centered on the white band. The quetzal appears above a parchment scroll bearing “Libertad 15 de Septiembre de 1821,” the date associated with Central America’s independence from Spain. The emblem also includes crossed rifles, crossed swords, and a laurel wreath.
The resplendent quetzal is Guatemala’s national bird and symbolizes liberty, independence, and autonomy. Its importance reaches back to Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures, where its brilliant green feathers were associated with prestige and sacred power. The bird also gives its name to Guatemala’s currency, the quetzal.
Guatemala adopted the modern vertical arrangement on August 17, 1871, restoring the blue-and-white colours linked to the former Federal Republic of Central America. A frequent mistake is identifying the quetzal as a separate emblem or assuming it appears on a plain blue-and-white flag; it is specifically part of Guatemala’s central coat of arms on the state flag.