Flag of Chile

What the flag looks like

Two horizontal bands of white over red, with a blue square in the upper hoist corner, as tall as the white band, holding a white five-pointed star.

What it means

Blue represents the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white the snow of the Andes and red the blood shed for independence; the star is a guide to progress and honor.

How to remember it

Chile's lone star sits in a blue square covering only the white half; Texas-style flags run the blue bar down the full height.

Fun facts

• Chileans call their flag "La Estrella Solitaria" (the Lone Star).
• Chile stretches about 4,300 km from north to south but averages only around 180 km wide.
• The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth outside the poles.

Chile at a glance

Capital

Santiago

Region

South America

Population

20 million

Area

756,102 km²

Languages

Spanish

Currency

Chilean peso ($)

Flag adopted

1817

Flags often confused with Chile

• Cuba: Chile and Cuba both use red, white and blue with one white star. Chile's star is in a blue square in the corner; Cuba's is in a red triangle at the hoist, with blue and white stripes.
• Liberia: Chile and Liberia both have one white star in a blue square in the corner. Chile has just two bands, white over red; Liberia has eleven red and white stripes.
• United States: Chile and the United States both have a blue corner square with white stars over red and white. Chile has one star and two bands; the US has 50 stars and thirteen stripes.