Flag of the Federal Republic of Central America
Locally República Federal de Centroamérica
What the flag looks like
Three equal horizontal stripes of blue, white and blue, with the coat of arms in the center: a triangle showing five volcanoes between two seas under a rainbow and a red cap of liberty, inside a ring reading "República Federal de Centro América".
What it means
The blue stripes stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and the white for the land between them; the five volcanoes represent the five member states.
How to remember it
The Central American federation flew blue-white-blue with five volcanoes in a triangle; Nicaragua
and El Salvador
still use almost the same triangle, and Honduras
turned the five states into five stars.
Fun facts
- All five of its former member states still have blue and white in their flags.
- The federation fell apart as its states left one by one between 1838 and 1841.
Federal Republic of Central America at a glance
- Existed
- 1823–1841
- Today
- Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
- Capital
- Guatemala City
- Region
- 1823–1841
- Languages
- Spanish
- Flag adopted
- 1823
Flags often confused with the Federal Republic of Central America
- Nicaragua: The Federal Republic of Central America and Nicaragua are both blue-white-blue with a triangle emblem in a ring of text. Nicaragua's ring names Nicaragua and its blue is darker; the federation's ring reads "República Federal de Centro América".
- El Salvador: The Federal Republic of Central America and El Salvador are both blue-white-blue with a triangle of volcanoes. El Salvador's triangle is framed by flags and a laurel wreath, and its blue is darker; the federation's sits in a plain ring of text.
- Honduras: The Federal Republic of Central America and Honduras are both blue-white-blue. Honduras has five blue stars in an X on the white; the federation has a triangle emblem in a ring of text.