Flag of El Salvador - Description of the El Salvador Flag
As the
above picture of the El Salvador Flag indicates the overall
background isblue and white
The El Salvador
flag is described as follows:
Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top),
white, and blue
The national coat of arms
is centered in the
white band
The coat of arms
features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the El Salvador flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Blue -
the sea and the sky - vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the El Salvador 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 El Salvador flag is described as
3:5
The
emblem on the El Salvador flag pictures the coat of
arms
The Meaning
& History of the El Salvador Flag - The El Salvador Coat of
Arms emblem depicts
The five flags five
fraternal Central American countries - El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
14 laurel leaves
the number of States
The phrygian cap of
liberty
5 volcanos
represent the five nations in the Central American isthmus (
isthmus - a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of
land )
The two oceans -
Pacific & Atlantic
Equilateral
triangle representing the equality of individuals
Rainbow
representing Hope
The knot represents
Unity
The flag of El
Salvador was adopted on September 27, 1972
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
El Salvador
Flag Etiquette
El Salvador 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 El Salvador as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of El
Salvador
State Flag of El
Salvador
Military Flag of El
Salvador (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of El
Salvador
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the El Salvador Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of El
Salvador 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 El Salvador flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
El Salvador should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the El Salvador flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of El Salvador, 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 El Salvador Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the El Salvador flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the El Salvador flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the El Salvador flag to the top, then lowering the
El Salvador Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the El Salvador flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The El Salvador flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the El Salvador flag
The El Salvador 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 El Salvador
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
El Salvador flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to El
Salvador
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 El Salvador Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
El Salvador
Location:
Central America, bordering the North
Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Land Size of El
Salvador : 20,720 sq km
Climate / Weather
of El Salvador : tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry
season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in
uplands
Population of El
Salvador : 6,587,541 (July 2004 est.)
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
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 History of
El Salvador & its Flag
The
indigenous inhabitants were the Pipils
1524
- Spanish conquistador
Pedro de Alvarado lands in El Salvador
1540 - Indigenous
population crushed and El Salvador becomes a Spanish colony
El Salvador
comes under control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala
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
1810 -
Overthrow of the king of Spain by Napoleon
1821 - El Salvador gains independence from Spain
Conflict
ensues over territory's incorporation into Mexican empire under
Creole general Agustin de Iturbide
1823 The
United Provinces of Central America was formed of the five
Central American states under General Manuel Jose Arce
1823 - El
Salvador becomes part of the United Provinces of Central
America, which also includes Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua
1840 - El Salvador becomes fully independent following the
dissolution of the United Provinces of Central America
1859-63 -
President Gerardo Barrios introduces coffee
1961 - Right-wing National Conciliation Party (PCN)
comes to power after a military coup
1969 - El
Salvador attacks and fights a brief war with Honduras
1977 - Guerrilla activities by the left-wing Farabundo Marti
National Liberation Front (FMLN) intensify
1977 -
General Carlos Romero elected president ousted in military coup
in 1979
1984 -
Duarte wins presidential election
1989 - Alfredo Cristiani voted president
December 15
1992 marked the official end of the internal conflict
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The
Flag and Nation of El Salvador
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Flag and Country of El Salvador has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
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