On August 27, 1971, the Central American country of Nicaragua officially adopted its current national flag (one of the few country flags to include purple!); let’s learn about its design!

The design consists of two bands of blue (“azure”) with the coat of arms in the center, on a white band. This design is similar to the flag of Argentina and the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America (the precursor to Nicaragua and other Central American countries).

The colors blue and white were borrowed from these flags, which may have had several origins. Typical natural elements, such as the sky and water, and the House of Bourbon are given as possible sources. The coat of arms is a little easier to explain:

• The triangle represents equality.
• The liberty cap (red) represents freedom.
• The five volcanoes represent the five original Central American countries.
• The rainbow represents peace; this is where the flag gets its purple.

Here’s a summary of the flag, which not only incorporates historical influences, but also rare vexillological colors!