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Flag of Chile


The flag of Chile consists of two equal-height horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square the same height as the white band in the canton, which bears a white five-pointed star in the center. It was adopted on 18 October 1817. The Chilean flag is also known in Spanish as La Estrella Solitaria[1] (The Lone Star). It is the only flag in South America whose design was influenced by the flag of the United States.

Republic of Chile
La Estrella Solitaria
UseNational flag and ensign
Proportion2:3
Adopted18 October 1817; 206 years ago (1817-10-18)
DesignA horizontal bicolor of white and red with the blue square ended on the upper hoist-side corner of the white band bearing the white five-pointed star in the center.
Designed byIgnacio Zenteno or Gregorio de Andía y Varela.
Presidential Standard
DesignSame design as the National Flag with the National Coat of Arms superimposed at the center.
Designed byAlfonso Martinez Delpelao
Original design
DesignDesign of the flag used from 1818 to 1912 with the star tilted.

It has a 3:2 ratio between length and width, it is divided horizontally into two bands of equal height (the lower being red). The upper area is divided once: into a square (blue), with a single centered white star; and into a rectangle (white), whose lengths are in proportion 1:2. It is in the stars and stripes flag family.

The star represents Venus, significant to the country's indigenous Mapuches,[2] symbolizing a guide to progress and honor while other interpretations say it refers to an independent state; blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence.[3]

According to the epic poem La Araucana, the colors were derived from those from the flag flown by the Mapuche during the Arauco War. "Flag Day" is held each year on the ninth of July to commemorate the 77 soldiers who died in the 1882 Battle of La Concepción.

History of Chile edit

Pre-Independence flags edit

 
 Flag possibly used by Mapuche troops during the early 18th century Arauco War.

The first records on the possible use of flags by indigenous peoples date back to the War of Arauco, the most famous being the use described in the late 16th-century epic poem La Araucana. In Canto XXI, Alonso de Ercilla described Talcahuano, warrior and chief of the Mapuche who work the lands near the present-day city that bears his name, bearing emblems of blue, white and red.

Two flags have been documented as used by Mapuche troops. However, these descriptions were made late in the eighteenth century without certainty about the age of them. One consisted of a five-pointed white star on a blue background similar to the canton of the current Chilean flag, while the second had a white eight-pointed star centered on a blue diamond with border zigzagged over a black background. The latter flag appears to be waved by the chief Lautaro in the best-known artistic representation of it, created by painter Pedro Subercaseaux.[4]

The main symbol of this flag is the star of Arauco, called guñelve, representing the flower of the canelo and the bright star of Venus. In the independence of Chile, Bernardo O'Higgins said that guñelve was the direct inspiration for creating the Chilean flag with the Lone Star.[2][5]

In the case of the colonizing troops, they used several Spanish flags. Each battalion had its own flag, which could incorporate different elements including the heraldic coat of arms of the King of Spain. One of the symbols most commonly used was the Cross of Burgundy, a jagged, red saltire crossed on a white cloth. The Cross of Burgundy was one of the main symbols of the Spanish Empire overseas, so it flew over the warships and was carried by the militia in the colonial territory during the Spanish colonization of the Americas.[citation needed]

In 1785, Carlos III established a uniform flag for all ships of the Spanish Armada, similar to the current flag of Spain. The use of this red-and-yellow flag would be extended in 1793 to "maritime towns, castles and coastal defenses." Despite the establishment of this new flag, the cross of Burgundy would still often used by colonial entities.[citation needed]

Flag of the Patria Vieja (1812–1814) edit

 
  Flag of the Patria Vieja (1812–1814). First Chilean national flag, used by merchant ships.

At the onset of the Chilean War of Independence, the First Government Junta was proclaimed on 18 September 1810, marking Chile's first step toward independence. It would be during the government of Jose Miguel Carrera in which the desire for emancipation would gain more strength. Nevertheless, the junta was established (at least nominally) as a way of controlling the government during the absence of King Fernando VII, so that the symbols of government remained Hispanic. Therefore, one of the first acts of his government would be the implementation of national symbols, such as an insignia, a coat of arms and a distinctive flag to identify the patriots. The first flag, according to tradition, would have been embroidered by the sister of the ruler, Javiera Carrera, and would be presented and raised for the first time on 4 July 1812 at a dinner with the United States consul Joel Roberts Poinsett to celebrate the anniversary of U.S. independence, an event having a great influence on the locals' struggle for independence.

Named the flag of the Patria Vieja ("Old Fatherland"), the flag had three horizontal stripes of blue, white and yellow. For some, the bands represent the three branches of government: majesty popular, law and force, respectively; to others, the stripes represent features of nature: the sky, the snowy Andes and fields of golden wheat, respectively. The following 30 September, during a celebration in the capital to commemorate the first government junta, the Chilean coat of arms, also called Patria Vieja, was solemnly adopted and included in the center of the flag.

Although the blue-white-yellow flag of the Patria Vieja was the most recognized, other versions utilized a different arrangement of the colors, such as white-blue-yellow, for example. On other occasions, the red Cross of Santiago was included in the upper left corner together with the coat of arms in the center. The cross originates from the victory of the patriot troops in the Battle of El Roble, where within the possessions of the captured war booty was a distinctive insignia of the Order of St. James, an important symbol of Spanish pride.

In 1813 after the royalist invasion and the outbreak of the War of Independence, the Spanish symbols were abolished and the tricolor flag was formally adopted by the patriotic forces in a ceremony at the Plaza Mayor of Santiago. Months later in 1814, Carrera left political and military power, and Francisco de la Lastra was chosen as Supreme director. The war of independence began at great losses for the patriot side, and so signed the Treaty of Lircay on 3 May 1814. This agreement reaffirmed the Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Chile, among other things, and as one of its direct consequences, the Spanish flag was readopted at the expense of the tricolor.

The flag of the Patria Vieja would wave again after Carrera's return to power 23 July 1814 until the Battle of Rancagua (1–2 October) where the royalist victory ended the patriot government and began the Reconquista (or Reconquest) from 1814 to 1817, restoring the imperial standard. The tricolor flag was last flown for the last time in the Battle of Los Papeles (Batalla de los Papeles), but it would appear again raised in the ships that José Miguel Carrera brought in 1817 and during his campaigns in Argentina (1820–1821). The Reconquista ended with the victory of Liberation Army of the Andes (Ejército Liberatador de los Andes) in the Battle of Chacabuco on 12 February 1817. In this battle, the patriot troops fought with the army colonel and the flag of the Army of the Andes, inspired by the flag of Argentina, without readopting the blue-white-yellow standard.

Today, the flag of the Patria Vieja is used during memorial services for moose Chilean historical period, conducted by the National Institute (Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera), which Carrera's government founded (10 August 1813). The emblem, adopted as a symbol at the beginning of carrerismo, was subsequently adopted by Chilean nationalism movement. For example, the flag with a red lightning bolt emblem superimposed was the insignia of the National Socialist Movement of Chile between 1932 and 1938.

Flag of the Transition (1817–1818) edit

 
  Flag of the Transition (1817–1818).

The victory at the Battle of Chacabuco on 26 May 1817 gave way to a new period known as the Patria Nueva (New Fatherland). A new flag was adopted that day, known today as the Flag of the Transition (Bandera de la Transición), and it is recognized as the first national flag and the last flag used until the one used currently. It was widely publicized at the time that the design was attributed to Juan Gregorio de Las Heras. This flag had three equal stripes: blue, white, and red, which is identical to the flag of pre-communist Yugoslavia. The bottom red strip replaced the yellow from the flag of 1812. The origin of the flag's colors would be based on the description given by Alonso de Ercilla as those of the insignia of the Mapuche troops. The significances of these colors were equivalent to those of the Patria Vieja, except that the yellow replaced the red to represent the blood that had been shed during the many conflicts.

Despite initial enthusiasm, the flag did not obtain official legalization and disappeared five months later. One reason for its suppression was that it was easily confused with both the flag of the Netherlands and the tricolor of revolutionary France, from which it was inspired.

According to the General History of Chile by Diego Barros Arana, the last time the Flag of the Transition was unfurled was at the ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Rancagua, two weeks before the adoption of the current national flag. However, there is information about a possible third flag between the Transitional and final, which would have exchanged the order of white and blue stripes and incorporated the five-pointed white star on the central strip, but that is no certainty, and it is not accepted by the majority of Chilean historians.

Third and current flag edit

 
During the Declaration of Independence, today's flag was raised for the first time.
 
  Reproduction of the original design.

The design of the current Chilean flag is commonly attributed to Bernardo O'Higgins's Minister of War, José Ignacio Zenteno, having been designed by the Spanish soldier Antonio Arcos, although historians argue that it was Gregorio de Andía y Varela who drew it.

The flag was made official on 18 October 1817 by a decree,[6] of which only indirect references to the absence of a copy thereof, which was officially presented during the Pledge of Independence ceremony on 12 February 1818, a ceremony in which the bearer was Tomás Guido.

The original flag was designed according to the Golden Ratio, which is reflected in the relation between the widths of the white and blue parts of the flag, as well as several elements in blue canton. The star does not appear upright in the center of the rectangular canton, instead the upper point appears slightly inclined toward the pole in such a way that the projection of its sides divide the length of the canton golden proportion. Additionally, in the center is printed the National Coat of Arms, known from the previous Flag of the Transition and adopted in 1817.[7][8]

 
A sample Guñelve.

The adoption of the star configuration goes back to the star used by the Mapuches. According to O'Higgins, the star of the flag was the Star of Arauco. In Mapuche iconography, the morning star or Venus, (Mapudungun: Wünelfe or the Hispanicized Guñelve) was represented through the figure of an octagram star or a foliated cross. Although, the star which was finally adopted bore a star having five points with the design of the guñelve remaining reflected in an asterisk inserted in the center of the star, representing the combination of European and indigenous traditions.

 
  Chilean flag used between 1818 and 1912.[9]
 
  Current Chilean flag.

These designs soon fell into oblivion due to the difficulty in the flag's construction. So, the embroidered seal and the eight-pointed asterisk disappeared while the star was kept completely upright. In 1854 the proportion was determined in keeping with the colors of the flag, leaving the canton as a square and the ratio of hoist to fly set to 2:3. Finally, in 1912, the diameter of the star was established, the precedence of the colors in the presidential flag and decorative cockade was determined, setting the order as blue, white and red from top to bottom or from left to right of the viewer.

All of these arrangements would later be recast into Supreme Decree No. 1534 of 1967 from the Ministry of the Interior during the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva. In this document, the national emblems, coat of arms, the rosette or cockade, and the presidential standard were established. Meanwhile, the Political Constitution of Chile of 1980 establishes in the first clause of article 222 that all inhabitants of the republic should respect Chile and its national emblems.

 
Time of Flags by the artist Ricardo Meza, located on the wall of the stairway access to the second floor of La Moneda Palace.

Few records remain of the original design, the most valuable being that of the flag used in the Declaration of Independence, which had a width of two meters and a length just over two feet. The flag was protected by various hereditary institutions until it was stolen in 1980 by members of the Revolutionary Left Movement as a protest against the military dictatorship. This group kept the specimen and returned it in late 2003 to the National Historical Museum, where it can be found today.

There is a rather popular legend in Chile that claims this third Chilean flag won a "Most Beautiful National Flag in the World" contest. Its most common version states that this happened in 1907 in Blankenberge, Belgium, in the coast of the Baltic Sea [sic].[10] Other versions of this story say this happened in the 19th century, or that the Chilean flag was placed second after the French flag; there are even variations that talk about Chile's national anthem, placing it either in the first place or second, after La Marseillaise. The fact that the only documented version of this story gets basic details wrong (Belgium has a coast on the North Sea, not the Baltic Sea) does not reflect well on its historical accuracy.

Similar flags edit

The flag of the U.S. state of Texas is similar to the Chilean flag. The flag of Texas was designed and adopted on 25 January 1839; whereas Chile adopted a flag similar to today's Chilean flag 22 years earlier on 18 October 1817. Nearly two decades before the then-national flag was approved by the Texas Congress and President Mirabeau B. Lamar. Texas' current flag is not a copied version of the Chilean flag, contrary to popular belief.

Like Texas, on 17 January 1840; a coalition of nobles from the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas advocated secession from Mexico to form their own federal republic called the Republic of the Rio Grande with Laredo (today part of Texas) as the capital but unlike Texas, was never formally recognized and ended on 6 November of the same year. Its flag was similar to that of Texas' in that there were three stars with a red hoist, and black and white bars on the side instead of one star with a blue hoist and white and red bars.

In 1822 during the Peruvian War of Independence, troops from both the Liberating Expedition of Peru (Expedición Libertadora del Perú) and the United Liberating Army of Peru (Ejército Unido Libertador del Perú) used a standard that was identical to the modern flag of Chile, except their flag had three stars in the canton (mostly forming the Triangulum Australe constellation), representing the three nations united by the cause of independence: the Argentine provinces, Chile and Peru.

On the other hand, the Chilean flag would have served as inspiration for the supporters of Cuban independence at the start the Ten Years' War in the so-called War Cry of Yara (Spanish: Grito de Yara) in 1868. The leader of this revolution, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, would have been inspired to create the first Cuban flag named La Demajagua in honor of the place where the revolt began. Two main differences are that the red and blue colors are inverted and that the red canton extends to the middle of the fly instead of one-third as on the Chilean flag.

Céspedes would have been inspired by the Chilean flag as a way of honoring the efforts of Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna on behalf of Chile to achieve independence of Cuba after the Spanish defeat in the Chincha Islands War.[11] According to Cespedes's son, his father "imagined a new flag that bore the same colors as that of the Carreras and O'Higgins and that would differentiate itself from the disposition of those colors."[12] However, the flag would not have much success, and an earlier design would become the definitive Cuban flag.

The flag of Liberia, founded in 1847, also includes a single star on the canton, but it has multiple horizontal stripes similar to the United States Flag.

Also, the Flag of Malacca, a state in Malaysia, is similar, having the same colors (except the yellow star and moon) and a similar canton design, although the proportions and color order are different.

The state of Amazonas in Brazil also adopted a similar flag in 1982. Its flag also has an elongated blue canton with multiple stars.

The Catamarca province in Argentina adopted a flag in 2011 that has nearly the same color design, but the blue is paler, and with a yellow border and a sun with two olive branches in the center.

Construction edit

The construction of the flag of Chile, at present, is officially defined in Supreme Decree No. 1,534 of the Ministry of the Interior, published in 1967, on the use of national emblems, which systematized and consolidated various laws and regulations on the subject. (Other laws include Law No. 2,597 of 11 January 1912, concerning the colors and proportions of the national flag, the presidential sash and rosette or cockade, and Supreme Decree No. 5805 of the Ministry of the Interior, published 26 August 1927, sets the size of the national flag for use in buildings and public offices.) According to the decree, the ratio between length and width of the flag is 3:2, being divided horizontally into two bands of equal size. While the lower section corresponds to the color red, the upper area is divided once in a blue square and a white rectangle whose lengths are in proportion 1:2, respectively. The star is located in the center of the blue canton and is constructed on a circle whose diameter is half the side of the canton.

Colors scheme edit

The exact color shades are not defined by law, but they are listed as "turqui blue", "white" and "red". Approximations below:

  Blue Red White
RGB 0-57-166 213-43-30 255-255-255
Hexadecimal #0039a6 #d52b1e #FFFFFF
CMYK 100, 66, 0, 35 0, 80, 86, 16 0, 0, 0, 0

Display edit

 
Displaying the Chilean flag horizontally or vertically.
 
Chilean flag painted on a wall in Valparaíso.

According to Chilean law, public use of the flag is allowed without prior authorization.[13] Before October 2011 its use was prohibited, without the approval of the provincial governor.[14][15] (An exception was made in 2010 during the bicentennial celebrations, where display of the flag was permitted during the whole month of September.[16]) This rule, however, was rarely enforced, as the flag was widely used on street celebrations, stadiums or rallies, without penal consequences.[citation needed]

Public buildings and private residences are required to display the flag on Navy Day (21 May), National Day (18 September) and Army Day (19 September).[15][17] If the flag is displayed incorrectly or not displayed at all during these days, the person responsible may be fined.[18]

On a pole edit

 
Chilean flags waving in Puerto Montt.

According to the protocol concerned, the flag should be hoisted from the tip of a white mast, and if done in company with other flags different, they must be of equal or lesser size. The Chilean flag must be set to the left if the sum of the flags is an even number or the center if the sum is an odd number. The flag must also be the first to be lifted and lowered the last.

Freely hanging edit

The Chilean flag can be displayed hanging either vertically or horizontally from a building or wall. In both cases, the blue square should be to the viewer's upper left.[15]

Respect due to the flag edit

Article 22 of the 1980 Constitution of Chile states that all inhabitants of the Republic owe respect to Chile and to its national emblems. The national emblems of Chile are the national flag, the coat of arms of the Republic and the national anthem. Pursuant to article 6 of the State Security Act of Chile (Decreto No. 890 de 1975), it is a felony against the public order to publicly mistreat the flag, the coat of arms, the name of the motherland or the national anthem.

Regional flags edit

 
Regional flags in the Access Hall of the National Congress of Chile. Not featured are the flags of the regions Arica and Parinacota, Los Ríos and Ñuble.

Chile is administratively divided into 16 regions in which the internal government corresponds to the intendant. Some regional governments have adopted their own insignias, though most lack relevance, being principally used for public, regional organizations. The only exception is the flag of the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region, which has been adopted as a symbol of identity Magellan by its inhabitants.[19]

The regional flags can be found in the Access Hall of the National Congress of Chile in the city of Valparaíso. Many communes and cities also have their own flags.

Pledge to the National Flag edit

In memory of the brave heroes of the Battle of La Concepcion in 1882, on 9 July each year, the very day the final Chilean soldiers in La Concepcion died in defense of the Chilean nation, this Pledge to the Flag (Juramento de la Bandera) is recited at all installations and military bases of the Chilean Army and the two Chilean Air Force] educational schools, and on graduation parades of the Chilean Navy and Air Force across the nation in remembrance of this moment in Chilean history. If done for the Carabineros de Chile, it is on the service anniversary (27 April) and passing out parades of enlisted personnel. A similar pledge is done by servicemen of the Chilean Gendarmerie and the Investigations Police of Chile - in the latter the American hand over heart gesture has been executed to clearly diffenciate from its sister organizations.

English translation of the pledge - Armed Forces variant

I (name and rank) pledge, to God and this flag,
to serve my country with loyalty,
whether in sea, on land, (in the air,[20]) or in anywhere else,
preparing thus, if needed, to sacrifice my life,
to fulfill my military duties and obligations,
in accordance with the laws and regulations in force,
to obey quickly and punctually the orders of my superior officers,
and thus invest my efforts in being a brave and honorable soldier (sailor, airman)
no matter what, for my country's sake!

English translation of the pledge - Carabineros variant

I pledge, as a constable/second lieutenant, to God and this very flag,
To serve loyally the duties of my profession,
To preserve the Constitution and laws of the republic,
And to serve and protect all citizens and the people who live in this land
Even if it needs for me to sacrifice my life
For the defense of order and the country!

English translation of the pledge - Gendarmerie variant

I (name and rank), pledge before the flag of my country,
to obey and comply with the laws and regulations concerning the Gendarmenie,
to serve loyally with the demands of this instituion.

I pledge, towards my superiors, comrades and those of other organizations
to be a good example with punctually
as I serve the duties of this service even needed to do at the cost of my own life!

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ Claudio Navarro; Verónica Guajardo. (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  2. ^ a b Guaquil, Rodolfo Manzo (5 May 2018). Los verdaderos emblemas de la República de Chile: 1810-2010 (in Spanish). p. 23. Otro aspecto importante en la bandera es la estrella de cinco puntas e inclinada que representa a la wünelfe, nombre que con que los indígenas mapuches asignaban al planeta Venus...
  3. ^ "The CIA World Factbook". Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Virtual journal of contemporary art and emerging trends" (in Spanish). Escaner Cultural. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  5. ^ Amunátegui Aldunate, Miguel Luis (1870). Los precursores de la independencia de Chile (in Spanish). Vol. III. Santiago, Chile: Imprenta, Litografía i Encuadernación Barcelona. pp. 587–590. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  6. ^ Soublette, Gastón (1984). "Historia de los Emblemas Nacionales Chilenos. Hechos, mitos, errores y discusiones sobre los Símbolos Patrios" (in Spanish). soberaniachile.
  7. ^ Soublette, Gastón (1984). (in Spanish). Ediciones Universitarias de Valparaíso. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  8. ^ Navas, Andrés (2015). (PDF). Preprint. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2022.
  9. ^ Rodolfo Manzo (2010). Los verdaderos emblemas de la República de Chile: 1810-2010. ISBN 9781257124336.
  10. ^ (in Spanish). 6 October 1907. Archived from the original on 2 August 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  11. ^ (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 April 2008.
  12. ^ Céspedes, Carlos Manuel de (1929). Las banderas de Yara y Bayamo (in Spanish). Paris. imaginó una bandera nueva, que luciendo los mismos colores y forma de la de Carreras [sic] y O'Higgins se diferenciase de ésta en la disposición de aquellos{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ^ Law 20,537, National Congress of Chile.
  14. ^ Article 4, letter f, Law 19,175, National Congress of Chile.
  15. ^ a b c "Decreto Supremo Nº 1534 de 1967 del Ministerio del Interior" (in Spanish). National Congress of Chile. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  16. ^ Decreto 2850 EXENTO de 24 de agosto de 2010, Ministerio del Interior de Chile.
  17. ^ "Decreto con Fuerza de Ley Nº 22 de 1959 del Ministerio del Hacienda" (in Spanish). National Congress of Chile. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  18. ^ "ESTE 21 DE MAYO EL IZAMIENTO DEL PABELLON NACIONAL ES OBLIGATORIO". wordpress.com. 20 May 2010.
  19. ^ Suárez Pemjean, Rodrigo. (in Spanish). Universidad de Chile. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  20. ^ This part of the pledge is recited by air force cadets only

External links edit

  • Chile at Flags of the World
  • Chile Historical Flag
  • Sobre los verdaderos simbolos patrios de Chile simbolospatrios.cl

flag, chile, this, article, about, state, flag, list, chilean, flags, list, chilean, flags, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, . This article is about the state flag For a list of Chilean flags see List of Chilean flags This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Flag of Chile news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2007 Learn how and when to remove this template message The flag of Chile consists of two equal height horizontal bands of white and red with a blue square the same height as the white band in the canton which bears a white five pointed star in the center It was adopted on 18 October 1817 The Chilean flag is also known in Spanish as La Estrella Solitaria 1 The Lone Star It is the only flag in South America whose design was influenced by the flag of the United States Republic of ChileLa Estrella SolitariaUseNational flag and ensignProportion2 3Adopted18 October 1817 206 years ago 1817 10 18 DesignA horizontal bicolor of white and red with the blue square ended on the upper hoist side corner of the white band bearing the white five pointed star in the center Designed byIgnacio Zenteno or Gregorio de Andia y Varela Presidential StandardDesignSame design as the National Flag with the National Coat of Arms superimposed at the center Designed byAlfonso Martinez DelpelaoOriginal designDesignDesign of the flag used from 1818 to 1912 with the star tilted It has a 3 2 ratio between length and width it is divided horizontally into two bands of equal height the lower being red The upper area is divided once into a square blue with a single centered white star and into a rectangle white whose lengths are in proportion 1 2 It is in the stars and stripes flag family The star represents Venus significant to the country s indigenous Mapuches 2 symbolizing a guide to progress and honor while other interpretations say it refers to an independent state blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean white is for the snow covered Andes and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence 3 According to the epic poem La Araucana the colors were derived from those from the flag flown by the Mapuche during the Arauco War Flag Day is held each year on the ninth of July to commemorate the 77 soldiers who died in the 1882 Battle of La Concepcion Contents 1 History of Chile 1 1 Pre Independence flags 1 2 Flag of the Patria Vieja 1812 1814 1 3 Flag of the Transition 1817 1818 1 4 Third and current flag 2 Similar flags 3 Construction 4 Colors scheme 5 Display 5 1 On a pole 5 2 Freely hanging 6 Respect due to the flag 7 Regional flags 8 Pledge to the National Flag 9 Gallery 10 References 11 External linksHistory of Chile editPre Independence flags edit nbsp nbsp Flag possibly used by Mapuche troops during the early 18th century Arauco War The first records on the possible use of flags by indigenous peoples date back to the War of Arauco the most famous being the use described in the late 16th century epic poem La Araucana In Canto XXI Alonso de Ercilla described Talcahuano warrior and chief of the Mapuche who work the lands near the present day city that bears his name bearing emblems of blue white and red Two flags have been documented as used by Mapuche troops However these descriptions were made late in the eighteenth century without certainty about the age of them One consisted of a five pointed white star on a blue background similar to the canton of the current Chilean flag while the second had a white eight pointed star centered on a blue diamond with border zigzagged over a black background The latter flag appears to be waved by the chief Lautaro in the best known artistic representation of it created by painter Pedro Subercaseaux 4 The main symbol of this flag is the star of Arauco called gunelve representing the flower of the canelo and the bright star of Venus In the independence of Chile Bernardo O Higgins said that gunelve was the direct inspiration for creating the Chilean flag with the Lone Star 2 5 In the case of the colonizing troops they used several Spanish flags Each battalion had its own flag which could incorporate different elements including the heraldic coat of arms of the King of Spain One of the symbols most commonly used was the Cross of Burgundy a jagged red saltire crossed on a white cloth The Cross of Burgundy was one of the main symbols of the Spanish Empire overseas so it flew over the warships and was carried by the militia in the colonial territory during the Spanish colonization of the Americas citation needed In 1785 Carlos III established a uniform flag for all ships of the Spanish Armada similar to the current flag of Spain The use of this red and yellow flag would be extended in 1793 to maritime towns castles and coastal defenses Despite the establishment of this new flag the cross of Burgundy would still often used by colonial entities citation needed Flag of the Patria Vieja 1812 1814 edit nbsp nbsp Flag of the Patria Vieja 1812 1814 First Chilean national flag used by merchant ships At the onset of the Chilean War of Independence the First Government Junta was proclaimed on 18 September 1810 marking Chile s first step toward independence It would be during the government of Jose Miguel Carrera in which the desire for emancipation would gain more strength Nevertheless the junta was established at least nominally as a way of controlling the government during the absence of King Fernando VII so that the symbols of government remained Hispanic Therefore one of the first acts of his government would be the implementation of national symbols such as an insignia a coat of arms and a distinctive flag to identify the patriots The first flag according to tradition would have been embroidered by the sister of the ruler Javiera Carrera and would be presented and raised for the first time on 4 July 1812 at a dinner with the United States consul Joel Roberts Poinsett to celebrate the anniversary of U S independence an event having a great influence on the locals struggle for independence Named the flag of the Patria Vieja Old Fatherland the flag had three horizontal stripes of blue white and yellow For some the bands represent the three branches of government majesty popular law and force respectively to others the stripes represent features of nature the sky the snowy Andes and fields of golden wheat respectively The following 30 September during a celebration in the capital to commemorate the first government junta the Chilean coat of arms also called Patria Vieja was solemnly adopted and included in the center of the flag Although the blue white yellow flag of the Patria Vieja was the most recognized other versions utilized a different arrangement of the colors such as white blue yellow for example On other occasions the red Cross of Santiago was included in the upper left corner together with the coat of arms in the center The cross originates from the victory of the patriot troops in the Battle of El Roble where within the possessions of the captured war booty was a distinctive insignia of the Order of St James an important symbol of Spanish pride In 1813 after the royalist invasion and the outbreak of the War of Independence the Spanish symbols were abolished and the tricolor flag was formally adopted by the patriotic forces in a ceremony at the Plaza Mayor of Santiago Months later in 1814 Carrera left political and military power and Francisco de la Lastra was chosen as Supreme director The war of independence began at great losses for the patriot side and so signed the Treaty of Lircay on 3 May 1814 This agreement reaffirmed the Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Chile among other things and as one of its direct consequences the Spanish flag was readopted at the expense of the tricolor The flag of the Patria Vieja would wave again after Carrera s return to power 23 July 1814 until the Battle of Rancagua 1 2 October where the royalist victory ended the patriot government and began the Reconquista or Reconquest from 1814 to 1817 restoring the imperial standard The tricolor flag was last flown for the last time in the Battle of Los Papeles Batalla de los Papeles but it would appear again raised in the ships that Jose Miguel Carrera brought in 1817 and during his campaigns in Argentina 1820 1821 The Reconquista ended with the victory of Liberation Army of the Andes Ejercito Liberatador de los Andes in the Battle of Chacabuco on 12 February 1817 In this battle the patriot troops fought with the army colonel and the flag of the Army of the Andes inspired by the flag of Argentina without readopting the blue white yellow standard Today the flag of the Patria Vieja is used during memorial services for moose Chilean historical period conducted by the National Institute Instituto Nacional General Jose Miguel Carrera which Carrera s government founded 10 August 1813 The emblem adopted as a symbol at the beginning of carrerismo was subsequently adopted by Chilean nationalism movement For example the flag with a red lightning bolt emblem superimposed was the insignia of the National Socialist Movement of Chile between 1932 and 1938 Flag of the Transition 1817 1818 edit nbsp nbsp Flag of the Transition 1817 1818 The victory at the Battle of Chacabuco on 26 May 1817 gave way to a new period known as the Patria Nueva New Fatherland A new flag was adopted that day known today as the Flag of the Transition Bandera de la Transicion and it is recognized as the first national flag and the last flag used until the one used currently It was widely publicized at the time that the design was attributed to Juan Gregorio de Las Heras This flag had three equal stripes blue white and red which is identical to the flag of pre communist Yugoslavia The bottom red strip replaced the yellow from the flag of 1812 The origin of the flag s colors would be based on the description given by Alonso de Ercilla as those of the insignia of the Mapuche troops The significances of these colors were equivalent to those of the Patria Vieja except that the yellow replaced the red to represent the blood that had been shed during the many conflicts Despite initial enthusiasm the flag did not obtain official legalization and disappeared five months later One reason for its suppression was that it was easily confused with both the flag of the Netherlands and the tricolor of revolutionary France from which it was inspired According to the General History of Chile by Diego Barros Arana the last time the Flag of the Transition was unfurled was at the ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Rancagua two weeks before the adoption of the current national flag However there is information about a possible third flag between the Transitional and final which would have exchanged the order of white and blue stripes and incorporated the five pointed white star on the central strip but that is no certainty and it is not accepted by the majority of Chilean historians Third and current flag edit nbsp During the Declaration of Independence today s flag was raised for the first time nbsp nbsp Reproduction of the original design The design of the current Chilean flag is commonly attributed to Bernardo O Higgins s Minister of War Jose Ignacio Zenteno having been designed by the Spanish soldier Antonio Arcos although historians argue that it was Gregorio de Andia y Varela who drew it The flag was made official on 18 October 1817 by a decree 6 of which only indirect references to the absence of a copy thereof which was officially presented during the Pledge of Independence ceremony on 12 February 1818 a ceremony in which the bearer was Tomas Guido The original flag was designed according to the Golden Ratio which is reflected in the relation between the widths of the white and blue parts of the flag as well as several elements in blue canton The star does not appear upright in the center of the rectangular canton instead the upper point appears slightly inclined toward the pole in such a way that the projection of its sides divide the length of the canton golden proportion Additionally in the center is printed the National Coat of Arms known from the previous Flag of the Transition and adopted in 1817 7 8 nbsp A sample Gunelve The adoption of the star configuration goes back to the star used by the Mapuches According to O Higgins the star of the flag was the Star of Arauco In Mapuche iconography the morning star or Venus Mapudungun Wunelfe or the Hispanicized Gunelve was represented through the figure of an octagram star or a foliated cross Although the star which was finally adopted bore a star having five points with the design of the gunelve remaining reflected in an asterisk inserted in the center of the star representing the combination of European and indigenous traditions nbsp nbsp Chilean flag used between 1818 and 1912 9 nbsp nbsp Current Chilean flag These designs soon fell into oblivion due to the difficulty in the flag s construction So the embroidered seal and the eight pointed asterisk disappeared while the star was kept completely upright In 1854 the proportion was determined in keeping with the colors of the flag leaving the canton as a square and the ratio of hoist to fly set to 2 3 Finally in 1912 the diameter of the star was established the precedence of the colors in the presidential flag and decorative cockade was determined setting the order as blue white and red from top to bottom or from left to right of the viewer All of these arrangements would later be recast into Supreme Decree No 1534 of 1967 from the Ministry of the Interior during the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva In this document the national emblems coat of arms the rosette or cockade and the presidential standard were established Meanwhile the Political Constitution of Chile of 1980 establishes in the first clause of article 222 that all inhabitants of the republic should respect Chile and its national emblems nbsp Time of Flags by the artist Ricardo Meza located on the wall of the stairway access to the second floor of La Moneda Palace Few records remain of the original design the most valuable being that of the flag used in the Declaration of Independence which had a width of two meters and a length just over two feet The flag was protected by various hereditary institutions until it was stolen in 1980 by members of the Revolutionary Left Movement as a protest against the military dictatorship This group kept the specimen and returned it in late 2003 to the National Historical Museum where it can be found today There is a rather popular legend in Chile that claims this third Chilean flag won a Most Beautiful National Flag in the World contest Its most common version states that this happened in 1907 in Blankenberge Belgium in the coast of the Baltic Sea sic 10 Other versions of this story say this happened in the 19th century or that the Chilean flag was placed second after the French flag there are even variations that talk about Chile s national anthem placing it either in the first place or second after La Marseillaise The fact that the only documented version of this story gets basic details wrong Belgium has a coast on the North Sea not the Baltic Sea does not reflect well on its historical accuracy Similar flags editThe flag of the U S state of Texas is similar to the Chilean flag The flag of Texas was designed and adopted on 25 January 1839 whereas Chile adopted a flag similar to today s Chilean flag 22 years earlier on 18 October 1817 Nearly two decades before the then national flag was approved by the Texas Congress and President Mirabeau B Lamar Texas current flag is not a copied version of the Chilean flag contrary to popular belief Like Texas on 17 January 1840 a coalition of nobles from the Mexican states of Coahuila Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas advocated secession from Mexico to form their own federal republic called the Republic of the Rio Grande with Laredo today part of Texas as the capital but unlike Texas was never formally recognized and ended on 6 November of the same year Its flag was similar to that of Texas in that there were three stars with a red hoist and black and white bars on the side instead of one star with a blue hoist and white and red bars In 1822 during the Peruvian War of Independence troops from both the Liberating Expedition of Peru Expedicion Libertadora del Peru and the United Liberating Army of Peru Ejercito Unido Libertador del Peru used a standard that was identical to the modern flag of Chile except their flag had three stars in the canton mostly forming the Triangulum Australe constellation representing the three nations united by the cause of independence the Argentine provinces Chile and Peru On the other hand the Chilean flag would have served as inspiration for the supporters of Cuban independence at the start the Ten Years War in the so called War Cry of Yara Spanish Grito de Yara in 1868 The leader of this revolution Carlos Manuel de Cespedes would have been inspired to create the first Cuban flag named La Demajagua in honor of the place where the revolt began Two main differences are that the red and blue colors are inverted and that the red canton extends to the middle of the fly instead of one third as on the Chilean flag Cespedes would have been inspired by the Chilean flag as a way of honoring the efforts of Benjamin Vicuna Mackenna on behalf of Chile to achieve independence of Cuba after the Spanish defeat in the Chincha Islands War 11 According to Cespedes s son his father imagined a new flag that bore the same colors as that of the Carreras and O Higgins and that would differentiate itself from the disposition of those colors 12 However the flag would not have much success and an earlier design would become the definitive Cuban flag The flag of Liberia founded in 1847 also includes a single star on the canton but it has multiple horizontal stripes similar to the United States Flag Also the Flag of Malacca a state in Malaysia is similar having the same colors except the yellow star and moon and a similar canton design although the proportions and color order are different The state of Amazonas in Brazil also adopted a similar flag in 1982 Its flag also has an elongated blue canton with multiple stars The Catamarca province in Argentina adopted a flag in 2011 that has nearly the same color design but the blue is paler and with a yellow border and a sun with two olive branches in the center nbsp Flag of Texas 1839 nbsp Flag of the United States 1960 nbsp Flag of the Liberating Expedition of Peru 1820 nbsp Flag of the Republic of the Rio Grande 1840 nbsp Flag of Cuba used in the Ten Years War 1868 nbsp First flag of the Confederate States of America Stars and Bars 1861 nbsp Flag of Liberia 1847 nbsp Flag of the Czech Republic 1993 previously Czechoslovakia 1920 1992 nbsp Flag of Yugoslavia 1918 nbsp Flag of Poland 1980 nbsp Flag of Catamarca province nbsp Flag of the Brazilian state of Amazonas 1982 nbsp Flag of the Malaysian state of Malacca nbsp Flag of Malaysia 1963 nbsp Flag of Rapa Nui Chile until 1902 Construction editThe construction of the flag of Chile at present is officially defined in Supreme Decree No 1 534 of the Ministry of the Interior published in 1967 on the use of national emblems which systematized and consolidated various laws and regulations on the subject Other laws include Law No 2 597 of 11 January 1912 concerning the colors and proportions of the national flag the presidential sash and rosette or cockade and Supreme Decree No 5805 of the Ministry of the Interior published 26 August 1927 sets the size of the national flag for use in buildings and public offices According to the decree the ratio between length and width of the flag is 3 2 being divided horizontally into two bands of equal size While the lower section corresponds to the color red the upper area is divided once in a blue square and a white rectangle whose lengths are in proportion 1 2 respectively The star is located in the center of the blue canton and is constructed on a circle whose diameter is half the side of the canton nbsp Flag construction sheetColors scheme editThe exact color shades are not defined by law but they are listed as turqui blue white and red Approximations below nbsp Blue Red White RGB 0 57 166 213 43 30 255 255 255 Hexadecimal 0039a6 d52b1e FFFFFF CMYK 100 66 0 35 0 80 86 16 0 0 0 0Display edit nbsp Displaying the Chilean flag horizontally or vertically nbsp Chilean flag painted on a wall in Valparaiso According to Chilean law public use of the flag is allowed without prior authorization 13 Before October 2011 its use was prohibited without the approval of the provincial governor 14 15 An exception was made in 2010 during the bicentennial celebrations where display of the flag was permitted during the whole month of September 16 This rule however was rarely enforced as the flag was widely used on street celebrations stadiums or rallies without penal consequences citation needed Public buildings and private residences are required to display the flag on Navy Day 21 May National Day 18 September and Army Day 19 September 15 17 If the flag is displayed incorrectly or not displayed at all during these days the person responsible may be fined 18 On a pole edit nbsp Chilean flags waving in Puerto Montt According to the protocol concerned the flag should be hoisted from the tip of a white mast and if done in company with other flags different they must be of equal or lesser size The Chilean flag must be set to the left if the sum of the flags is an even number or the center if the sum is an odd number The flag must also be the first to be lifted and lowered the last Freely hanging edit The Chilean flag can be displayed hanging either vertically or horizontally from a building or wall In both cases the blue square should be to the viewer s upper left 15 Respect due to the flag editArticle 22 of the 1980 Constitution of Chile states that all inhabitants of the Republic owe respect to Chile and to its national emblems The national emblems of Chile are the national flag the coat of arms of the Republic and the national anthem Pursuant to article 6 of the State Security Act of Chile Decreto No 890 de 1975 it is a felony against the public order to publicly mistreat the flag the coat of arms the name of the motherland or the national anthem Regional flags edit nbsp Regional flags in the Access Hall of the National Congress of Chile Not featured are the flags of the regions Arica and Parinacota Los Rios and Nuble Chile is administratively divided into 16 regions in which the internal government corresponds to the intendant Some regional governments have adopted their own insignias though most lack relevance being principally used for public regional organizations The only exception is the flag of the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region which has been adopted as a symbol of identity Magellan by its inhabitants 19 The regional flags can be found in the Access Hall of the National Congress of Chile in the city of Valparaiso Many communes and cities also have their own flags nbsp Flag of the Arica and Parinacota Region nbsp Flag of the Tarapaca Region nbsp Flag of the Antofagasta Region nbsp Flag of the Atacama Region nbsp Flag of the Coquimbo Region nbsp Flag of the Valparaiso Region nbsp Flag of the Santiago Metropolitan Region nbsp Flag of the O Higgins Region nbsp Flag of the Maule Region nbsp Flag of the Nuble Region nbsp Flag of the Biobio Region nbsp Flag of the Araucania Region nbsp Flag of the Los Rios Region nbsp Flag of the Los Lagos Region nbsp Flag of the Aisen Region nbsp Flag of the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena RegionPledge to the National Flag editIn memory of the brave heroes of the Battle of La Concepcion in 1882 on 9 July each year the very day the final Chilean soldiers in La Concepcion died in defense of the Chilean nation this Pledge to the Flag Juramento de la Bandera is recited at all installations and military bases of the Chilean Army and the two Chilean Air Force educational schools and on graduation parades of the Chilean Navy and Air Force across the nation in remembrance of this moment in Chilean history If done for the Carabineros de Chile it is on the service anniversary 27 April and passing out parades of enlisted personnel A similar pledge is done by servicemen of the Chilean Gendarmerie and the Investigations Police of Chile in the latter the American hand over heart gesture has been executed to clearly diffenciate from its sister organizations English translation of the pledge Armed Forces variant I name and rank pledge to God and this flag to serve my country with loyalty whether in sea on land in the air 20 or in anywhere else preparing thus if needed to sacrifice my life to fulfill my military duties and obligations in accordance with the laws and regulations in force to obey quickly and punctually the orders of my superior officers and thus invest my efforts in being a brave and honorable soldier sailor airman no matter what for my country s sake English translation of the pledge Carabineros variant I pledge as a constable second lieutenant to God and this very flag To serve loyally the duties of my profession To preserve the Constitution and laws of the republic And to serve and protect all citizens and the people who live in this land Even if it needs for me to sacrifice my life For the defense of order and the country English translation of the pledge Gendarmerie variant I name and rank pledge before the flag of my country to obey and comply with the laws and regulations concerning the Gendarmenie to serve loyally with the demands of this instituion I pledge towards my superiors comrades and those of other organizations to be a good example with punctually as I serve the duties of this service even needed to do at the cost of my own life Gallery edit nbsp Lautaro painting by Pedro Subercaseaux nbsp Cross of Burgundy emblem of the King and Armed Forces in Spanish Empire nbsp Flag of Crown of Castile nbsp Ancestral Araucanian Flag with the Gunelve the star of Arauco nbsp Naval ensign and national flag of Spain 1785 1873 and 1875 1931 nbsp Possible flag used for a few days in 1817 References edit Claudio Navarro Veronica Guajardo Simbolos La Bandera in Spanish Archived from the original on 17 October 2008 Retrieved 8 June 2008 a b Guaquil Rodolfo Manzo 5 May 2018 Los verdaderos emblemas de la Republica de Chile 1810 2010 in Spanish p 23 Otro aspecto importante en la bandera es la estrella de cinco puntas e inclinada que representa a la wunelfe nombre que con que los indigenas mapuches asignaban al planeta Venus The CIA World Factbook Retrieved 21 April 2010 Virtual journal of contemporary art and emerging trends in Spanish Escaner Cultural Retrieved 22 April 2010 Amunategui Aldunate Miguel Luis 1870 Los precursores de la independencia de Chile in Spanish Vol III Santiago Chile Imprenta Litografia i Encuadernacion Barcelona pp 587 590 Retrieved 11 October 2019 Soublette Gaston 1984 Historia de los Emblemas Nacionales Chilenos Hechos mitos errores y discusiones sobre los Simbolos Patrios in Spanish soberaniachile Soublette Gaston 1984 La estrella de Chile in Spanish Ediciones Universitarias de Valparaiso Archived from the original on 22 September 2009 Retrieved 7 October 2010 Navas Andres 2015 The amazing story of a forgotten golden flag PDF Preprint Archived from the original PDF on 14 June 2022 Rodolfo Manzo 2010 Los verdaderos emblemas de la Republica de Chile 1810 2010 ISBN 9781257124336 Chilean flag wins international competition archived entry in Spanish 6 October 1907 Archived from the original on 2 August 2007 Retrieved 25 September 2013 Chile and the independence of Cuba II in Spanish Archived from the original on 5 April 2008 Cespedes Carlos Manuel de 1929 Las banderas de Yara y Bayamo in Spanish Paris imagino una bandera nueva que luciendo los mismos colores y forma de la de Carreras sic y O Higgins se diferenciase de esta en la disposicion de aquellos a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Law 20 537 National Congress of Chile Article 4 letter f Law 19 175 National Congress of Chile a b c Decreto Supremo Nº 1534 de 1967 del Ministerio del Interior in Spanish National Congress of Chile Retrieved 1 August 2011 Decreto 2850 EXENTO de 24 de agosto de 2010 Ministerio del Interior de Chile Decreto con Fuerza de Ley Nº 22 de 1959 del Ministerio del Hacienda in Spanish National Congress of Chile Retrieved 1 August 2011 ESTE 21 DE MAYO EL IZAMIENTO DEL PABELLON NACIONAL ES OBLIGATORIO wordpress com 20 May 2010 Suarez Pemjean Rodrigo Mateo Martinic and Francisco Coloane The construction of a regional identity in Magallanes in Spanish Universidad de Chile Archived from the original on 21 June 2007 Retrieved 22 September 2010 This part of the pledge is recited by air force cadets onlyExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to National flag of Chile Chile at Flags of the World Chile Historical Flag Sobre los verdaderos simbolos patrios de Chile simbolospatrios cl Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flag of Chile amp oldid 1219724528, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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