Costa Rica’s flag features a central red stripe that is twice as wide as each of the other four stripes.
The flag uses five horizontal bands arranged blue, white, red, white, and blue. Costa Rica officially adopted this basic design on September 29, 1848, after the country separated from the Federal Republic of Central America. Pacífica Fernández, the wife of President José María Castro Madriz, is credited with proposing the design, drawing inspiration from the French tricolour and the ideals associated with the 1848 French Revolution.
The red stripe represents the warmth and generosity of the Costa Rican people, as well as the blood shed in the struggle for freedom. Blue and white carry several associated meanings, including the sky, peace, wisdom, and opportunity. A common mix-up is confusing Costa Rica’s flag with those of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which also use blue-and-white Central American colours but do not have the same broad central red band.
Costa Rica has both a civil flag and a state flag. The state version includes the national coat of arms, while the civil version omits it.