Flag of Ecuador

What the flag looks like

Three horizontal bands of yellow, blue and red, with the yellow band taking up the top half; the coat of arms, topped by an Andean condor, sits in the center.

What it means

Yellow is commonly read as the nation's wealth, blue the sky and sea, and red the blood of its heroes; the condor represents power and courage.

How to remember it

Ecuador is Colombia plus a condor: the same double-height yellow tricolor, but with a coat of arms where an Andean condor spreads its wings.

Fun facts

• The coat of arms shows Mount Chimborazo, whose summit is the farthest point on Earth from the planet's center.
• Ecuador is named after the equator, which runs through the country just north of Quito.

Ecuador at a glance

Capital

Quito

Region

South America

Population

18 million

Area

276,841 km²

Languages

Spanish

Currency

United States dollar ($)

Flag adopted

1860

Flags often confused with Ecuador

• Colombia: Colombia and Ecuador are both yellow, blue and red with a double-height yellow band. Ecuador has a coat of arms with a condor in the center; Colombia's flag is plain.
• Venezuela: Ecuador and Venezuela are both yellow, blue and red. Ecuador's yellow band fills the top half and it has a coat of arms with a condor; Venezuela's bands are equal, with an arc of white stars on the blue.