State flag and ensign, ratio: 1:2

Civil flag and ensign, ratio: 1:2

The flag of Ecuador, which consists of horizontal bands of yellow (double width), blue and red, was adopted on September 26, 1860. It is very similar to that of Colombia and Venezuela, which are also former members of Greater Colombia. It is based on a proposal by Francisco de Miranda. Image File history File links Flag_of_Ecuador. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ecuador. ... Image File history File links FIAV_010010. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ecuador_(civil). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ecuador_(civil). ... Image File history File links FIAV_100100. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Capital Bogotá Created December 1819 Dissolved November 1831 Demonym Colombian Departments of the Republic Greater Colombia (Gran Colombia in Spanish) is the name given to the Republic of Colombia of 1819-1830, which was a short-lived republic in South America consisting of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. ... Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Rodríguez (commonly known as Francisco de Miranda March 28, 1750 – July 14, 1816) was a South American revolutionary whose own plan for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, but who is regarded as a forerunner of Simón Bol...

[edit] Civil, state, war and municipal flags

The law of 5 December 1900 (Registro Oficial No.1272) specifies that Ecuador's civil flag and ensign are different from its state flag and ensign in that the state flags are charged with Ecuador's coat of arms whereas the civil flags are not. However, in practice the state flag is often used as a civil flag, especially where this is necessary to distinguish it from the otherwise identical flag of Colombia. December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. ... The civil ensign (a. ... The flags of the U.S. states exhibit a wide variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as widely different styles and design principles. ... The coat of arms of Ecuador (Spanish: Escudo de armas del Ecuador) in its current form has been established in 1900 based on an older version of 1845. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 Naval Ensign. ...

The naval ensign and war flag have 2:3 proportions but are otherwise the same as the state ensign.

A special flag is reserved for municipal buildings: this is the civil flag with a ring of 19 white stars (one for each of the provinces, although these now number 22) on the blue stripe.

[edit] History

Eight periods may be identified in the history of Ecuador's flag:

1810-12 The leaders of a rebellion against the Spanish authorities raised a red flag with white mast. This uprising, based in Quito, was defeated in 1812.

1820-22 A flag with five horizontal stripes and three stars in the middle stripe, now the flag of the province of Guayas, was raised by the patriots in the 9th October 1820 liberation.

Flag of the October 1820 uprising, now the flag of Guayas

1822 The previous flag was changed by decree of the 2nd June 1822: "The flag of the free province of Guayaquil shall be white and its first quarter blue with a centered star".

1822-45 Ecuador was subsumed into Greater Colombia, during which time the Colombian [horizontal] tricolour became definitive. Although Ecuador succeeded from that union in 1830, the flag was retained.

1845 During the 1845 Marcist Revolution the pale blue and white colours return, but as a vertical tricolour of white, blue, white, with three white stars in the central stripe.

1845-60 The Cuenca Convention ratified, by decree of 6 November 1845, a change to a deeper blue, and the increase in the number of stars to seven "as symbols of the seven provinces which make up the Republic".

1860-1900 Gabriel García Moreno, on assuming power, declared "The bicolour has been shamed out of treason and bears a washproof stain. Let the old Equatorian flag, sealed with heroes' blood, be forever consecrated as the people's ensign and the pride of our national glories". Thus the yellow, blue and red triband was returned to use.

1900-present The flag re-introduced by Moreno became definitive in 1900, and the coat of arms is added for official state use.

Nickname: Luz de América Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito Coordinates: Country Ecuador Province Pichincha Canton Quito  - Mayor Paco Moncayo Area approx    - City 290 km²  - Land 290 km²  - Water 0 km² Elevation 2,800 m Population (2005, estimation)  - City 1,865,541 (canton)  - Density ~4,800/km² Time... Guayas is the most populated province in Ecuador. ... Image File history File links Bandera_Província_Guayas. ... Image File history File links Bandera_Província_Guayas. ... The Flag of the Marcist Revolution and the Republic of Ecuador from 1845-1860. ... Gabriel García Moreno (1821 — 1875) was an Ecuadorian statesman who twice served as President of that country (1859-1865 and 1869-1875). ... The term triband can refer to one of two things: Triband phones are a form of mobile phone A triband is a design of flag. ... The coat of arms of Ecuador (Spanish: Escudo de armas del Ecuador) in its current form has been established in 1900 based on an older version of 1845. ...

[edit] Symbolism

de Miranda described a letter he had received from Goethe on the theory of primary colours, explaining "First he explained to me the way the iris transforms the light into the three primary colours... then he said why Yellow is the most warm, noble and closest to the bright light; why Blue is that mix of excitement and serenity, so far that it evokes the shadows; and why Red is the exaltation of Yellow and Blue, the synthesis, the vanishing of the bright light into the shadows". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced [gø tə]) (August 28, 1749–March 22, 1832) was a German writer, politician, humanist, scientist, and philosopher. ... This page is about the colors. ...

The patriotic symbolism ascribed to the colours is:
Yellow - wealth of agricultural and other resources in the country;
Blue - the ocean and the clear skies;
Red - the blood of those who died in gaining the country's freedom.

The significance of the elements of the coat of arms are described thus:
Condor - power and courage
Landscape - Chimborazo and Guayas River
Boat - Peace and trade
Golden Sun - pre-Colombian traditions
Zodiac signs - The Marcist revolution
Palm and Laurel leaves - Peace and dignity. Chimborazo is a province in Ecuador. ... The Guayas River in Guayaquil The Guayas River is a river in western Ecuador. ...

[edit] Resemblance to other flags

Ecuador's flag bears a strong resemblance to the flag of Colombia and the flag of Venezuela, because all three are derived from the flag of Gran Colombia. Internationally, the flag is flown with the nation's seal in the center. This is to distinguish it from the flag of Colombia without which it could easily be confused (the only difference between the civil flags of Ecuador and Colombia resides in their proportions). Flag ratio: 2:3 Naval Ensign. ... New 8-star Flag of Venezuela Flag ratio: 2:3 New 8-star Flag of Venezuela Flag ratio: 2:3, civil/merchant variant Old 7-star Flag of Venezuela. ... Command Standard of Francisco de Miranda, Mirandas Tricolour. ...

[edit] External links

• Ecuador at Flags of the World
• Patriotic Symbols of Ecuador (in Spanish)