The
Flag of Costa Rica - Description of the Costa Rican Flag
As the
above picture of the Costa Rican Flag indicates the background is
tri-color - Red, blue and white
The Costa Rican flag is described as follows:
Five
horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width),
white, and blue, with the coat of arms of Costa Rica in a white
disk on the hoist side of the red band
Above the coat of arms a
light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL
Just
below it, near the top of the coat of arms, is a white ribbon with
the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Costa Rican flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the Costa Rican flag is
described as Emblem -reflecting the
central design of the flag pattern
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape
and flag ratio of
the Costa Rican flag is described as 3:5
The
emblem on the Costa Rican flag pictures the Costa Rican coat of
arms
The Meaning
& History of the Costa Rican Flag and Coat of Arms
The Costa Rican
Coat of Arms depicts two branches of myrtle closing the coat of
arms representing the peace of Costa Rica
The volcanoes
represent the three Costa Rica's mountain range systems
The two
oceans represent the Atlantic and Pacific
The merchant ships
sailing on each ocean represent the cultural and commercial
exchange between Costa Rica and the rest of the world
The
rising sun represents Costa Rican prosperity
The seven
stars above the volcanoes represent the seven Costa Rican provinces - Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas,
and San Jose
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
Costa Rican
Flag Etiquette
Costa Rican Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including Costa Rican as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Costa Rican
State Flag of Costa
Rican
Military Flag of
Costa Rican (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of Costa
Rican
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Costa Rican Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
Costa Rican should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The Costa Rican flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Costa Rican should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Costa Rican flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Costa Rican, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in Costa Rican Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Costa Rican flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Costa Rican flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Costa Rican flag to the top, then lowering the
Costa Rican Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Costa Rican flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Costa Rican flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Costa Rican flag
The Costa Rican flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The Costa Rican
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
Costa Rican flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to Costa
Rican
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding Costa Rican Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
Costa Rica
Location:
Central America, bordering both the
Caribbean Sea and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Costa Rican Land Size : 50,660 sq km
Costa Rican Climate / Weather : tropical and subtropical; dry season (December
to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Costa Rican
Population : 3,956,507 (July 2004 est.)
Former Name(s) :
n/a
Costa Rican Capital
City: San Jose
Costa Rican GDP:
$35.16 billion (2003 est.)
Costa Rican Main Industries :
microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing,
construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Main Colors of the
Costa Rican Flag : blue, white and red
South America - Concise
History of the Mesoamerican civilisations
Mesoamericans were the ancient
civilisations of South America which is now divided into 12
independent countries consisting of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname,
Uruguay, and Venezuela
Costa Rica was also part of the
Mesoamerica cultural area
The diverse civilizations of
ancient Mesoamerica included the Olmecs, Toltecs, Aztecs, Incas
and Mayans
5000-1200 BC
The Ancestors of the people of South America were believed to
have been nomadic Asian hunter-gatherers who crossed over the
frozen Bering Strait and into North America. From there they
traveled to the lands of South America and were the descendents
of the great Mesoamerican civilisations and established corn
cultivation, pottery and the use of stone tools
The Olmecs - 1200 BC- 300 AD
The Olmecs were the first true civilisation of South America and
were the ancestors of the later cultures
The Mayan Civilisation - 300 -
1500's
The Mayans empire covered Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras,
and El Salvador. The Mayans developed astronomy and hieroglyphic
writing
The Toltec Civilisation - 900's -
1100's
The Toltecs ruled Mexico and Guatemala from the 10th to the 12th
century
The Aztec Civilisation - 1100'S-
1500'S
The Aztecs' rose to power in Mexico during the 12th and 13th
centuries and remained in control until the arrival of the
Spaniards in the 16th Century
The Inca Civilisation - 1438 - 1535
The empire of the Incas covered Peru, Bolivia, northern
Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. The amazing rise of the Incas was
achieved in less than one hundred years and covered an area of
nearly 400,000 square miles
The Spanish conquistadors - 1535
The later civilisations of South America abruptly ended in 1535
when the Spanish conquistadors seized control
Concise Costa Rican History & its Flag
September
18, 1502 - Christopher Columbus visits the area and names it
Costa Rica (translates as Rich Coast)
The
indigenous tribes living in Costa Rica were the Caribs, Borucas,
Chibchas, and Diquis
1561 -
Spain's Juan de Cavallon leads the first successful Costa Rican colonisers
The Caribs were progressively wiped out by the
after-effects of the Spanish Costa Rican conquest
The Spanish
were continuously harassed by the native Caribs and by pirates
and buccaneers who attacked the Spanish galleons which were
carrying riches back to Spain
1776 Spain
encompassed all of its territories in south-east South America
to create one large colony called the Viceroyalty of the Rio de
la Plata
1808 -
Coffee is introduced into Costa Rica from Cuba and becomes the
principal Costa Rican crop
1810 -
Overthrow of the king of Spain by Napoleon
1821 -
Central America gains independence from Spain
1823 - Costa
Rica joins the United Provinces of Central America ( El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua)
1838 - Costa
Rica becomes fully independent
1949 - New
constitution gives Costa Rican women and people of African descent the right
to vote
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In just a short period of time this
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The
Costa Rican Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Costa Rican Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
right to enter the Vexillologist Hall of Fame!
