Flag of Bolivia

What the flag looks like

Three equal horizontal bands of red, yellow and green; the state flag adds the national coat of arms in the center.

What it means

Red stands for the blood of the nation's heroes, yellow for its mineral wealth and green for the fertility of its land.

How to remember it

Bolivia reads red, yellow, green from the top like a traffic light upside down; Ghana uses the same order but adds a black star.

Fun facts

• Since the 2009 constitution, the Wiphala, a square patchwork flag of seven colors used by Andean peoples, has been a national symbol alongside the tricolor.
• Bolivia is landlocked but still has a navy, which patrols Lake Titicaca and the country's rivers.
• Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world.

Bolivia at a glance

Capital

Sucre (constitutional), La Paz (seat of government)

Region

South America

Population

12 million

Area

1,098,581 km²

Languages

Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua, Spanish

Currency

Bolivian boliviano (Bs.)

Flag adopted

1851

Flags often confused with Bolivia

• Ghana: Bolivia and Ghana are both red, yellow and green from top to bottom. Ghana has a black star in the center; Bolivia has a coat of arms or no emblem.
• Lithuania: Bolivia and Lithuania both use horizontal red, yellow and green stripes. Bolivia goes red, yellow, green from the top; Lithuania goes yellow, green, red.
• Ethiopia: Bolivia and Ethiopia both have horizontal red, yellow and green stripes with a central emblem. Bolivia has red on top; Ethiopia has green on top and a blue disc with a yellow star.
• Myanmar: Bolivia and Myanmar both use horizontal red, yellow and green stripes. Bolivia has red on top; Myanmar has yellow on top and a large white star across all three stripes.