This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

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. This flag contains the coat of arms.

The flag of Venezuela dates from 1811, the beginning of that nation's struggle for independence. The basic design includes a horizontal tricolor of yellow, blue, and red. Further modifications have involved a set of stars at the center, and a coat of arms at the upper-left corner. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela_(state). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela_(state). ... Image File history File links FIAV_011011. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela. ... Image File history File links FIAV_100100. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela_1930-2006. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela_1930-2006. ... Tricolour - a flag or banner having three colours Tricolor (ship) - a ship that sunk in the English Channel This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Original Flag

The flag is the one primarily adopted by the National Congress of 1811, consisting of three equal horizontal stripes. This original design was by Francisco de Miranda, who on 12 March 1806 hoisted a flag with three stripes, yellow, blue, and red, on his ship headed to Coro, Venezuela on his second attempt to initiate a revolutionary movement of independence. The yellow band stands for the wealth of the land, the red for the blood and courage of the people, and the blue for the waters separating Venezuela from Spain. Flag Day is celebrated in Venezuela on 12 March in honor of Miranda. The Revolutionary: Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Rodríguez (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 Bolívar and other more effective American... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The city of Santa Ana de Coro was founded in 1527. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... There are two recognized definitions of the term, Flag Day. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ...

This format has remained largely unchanged since 1811, but underwent several modifications in the 19th and early 20th centuries around the stars and the coat of arms. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar. ... The current Coat of Arms of Venezuela was primarly approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the version described below. ...

19th- and 20th-Century Changes

During the first half of the 19th century seven stars were added to the flag to represent the seven provinces of Barcelona, Barinas, Caracas, Cumaná, Margarita, Mérida, and Trujillo, which had united against Spain during Venezuelan independence. The Coat of Arms was later incorporated with the Law of the National Flag, Coat of Arms and Anthem, on 17 February 1954. Venezuelan Independence War in 1811-1812 was Venezuelas first war for independence from Spanish colonial rule. ... The current Coat of Arms of Venezuela was primarly approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the version described below. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2006 changes

On 12 March 2006, the flag was changed once again to the one depicted in the top image. The main changes are the addition of an eighth star, which President Hugo Chávez has called the "Bolivar Star" in honor of Simón Bolívar who had himself proposed the eighth star in 1817. This eighth star recognizes the contributions of the province of Guayana, which joined in the fight for independence shortly after the original seven. March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (English IPA: ; Spanish IPA: ; born July 28, 1954) is the 53rd[1] and current President of Venezuela. ... Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (July 24, 1783 – December 17, 1830) was a South American revolutionary leader. ...

The Coat of Arms of Venezuela has also been modified. The direction the horse is running has been reversed: formerly running to the viewer's right but twisting its head to the viewer's left, it now runs and faces toward the viewer's left (actually the heraldic right). The current Coat of Arms of Venezuela was primarly approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the version described below. ... Heraldry is the science and art of designing, displaying, describing and recording coats-of-arms (also referred to as armorial bearings or simply as arms). Its origins lie in the need to distinguish participants in battles or jousts and to describe the various devices they carried or painted on their...

Although the new flag was approved by the Venezuelan government it has caused significant controversy, and at the time of its official unveiling, opposition spokesperson Oscar Perez stated that his party would not use the new flag. The Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ...

The opposition has complained about the significant cost involved in modifying not only all flags but all documents bearing the flag or coat of arms by the year 2011 as proposed by the government. However, the government says the 2011 proposal allows ample time for phasing in of the new flag as citizens, businesses, and other organizations are able to switch.

The changed direction of the horse on the coat of arms also caused a stir among the opposition, commentators, and comedians who have remarked that the now leftward-running horse is a not so subtle reflection of Chávez' leftward-running politics. Chávez says the latter represents the horse now being freed; he has made no reference to the attributed economic symbolism.

Finally, the original eighth province included parts of what is today Guyana, and the new eighth star is a reminder of the current international dispute regarding Venezuela's claims for the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana. Irredentism is a international relations term that involves advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ... The Essequibo River is the longest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. ...

See also

• Flag of Gran Colombia

Command Standard of Francisco de Miranda, Mirandas Tricolour. ...

External links

• Venezuela on Flags of the World
• ((Spanish)) Ley de Bandera, Escudo, e Himno Nacionales - Law of the National Flag, Coat of Arms and Anthem.
• BBC Report on change of flag

	National Symbols of Venezuela
National Flag | Coat of Arms | National Anthem | National Flower | National Tree | National Bird A national flag is a flag that symbolises a country and that can usually be flown by citizens of that country. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... This gallery of sovereign state flags shows the flags of sovereign states in the list of sovereign states. ... This gallery of sovereign state coats of arms shows the coat of arms of sovereign states in the list of sovereign states. ... This overview contains the flags of dependent territories. ... This overview contains the flags of self-proclaimed states that have declared their independence, exert control over (at least part of) the claimed territory and population, but have not been acknowledged as independent states by the international community at large. ... This overview shows the coat of arms of dependent territories. ... This overview contains the coats of arms of self-proclaimed states that have declared their independence, exert control over (at least part of) the claimed territory and population, but have not been acknowledged as independent states by the international community at large. ... Venezuelan coat of arms File links The following pages link to this file: Venezuela List of Venezuelans List of national coats of arms Categories: Images with unknown source ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Venezuela_(state). ... The current Coat of Arms of Venezuela was primarly approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the version described below. ... Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Glory to the Brave People) was adopted as Venezuelas national anthem by President Antonio Guzmán Blanco on May 25, 1881. ... Species See text Cattleya is a genus of approximately 53 species of orchids from Mexico to tropical South America. ... Species About 100 species; see text Tabebuia is a Neotropical genus of about 100 species of large shrubs and trees in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. ...