Flag of Peru
Encyclopedia
The flag
of Peru
was adopted by the government of Peru
in 1825. It is a vertical triband
with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, it may be defaced
with different emblems, and has different names. Flag day
in Peru is celebrated on June 7, the anniversary of the Battle of Arica
.
includes the vicuña
(a relative of the llama
and alpaca
), the quina (cinchona
) tree, and a cornucopia of gold.
Others say that the white represents peace and the red is the blood from the fighters of their freedom.
is used by citizens. It has no additions to the common form. It was changed several times; before 1950 it looked like the current national flag and was used as both the civil and state flag, when General Manuel A. Odría
removed the coat of arms from the national flag and created the state and war flags.
(pabellón nacional), used by state institutions, is marked with the coat of arms of Peru
(escudo de armas). It is used during ceremonies in which the flag is hoisted in the presence of spectators (as opposed to a static, permanent flag). A form of this flag, the national standard (estandarte nacional) is used indoors by official and private institutions.
(Bandera de Guerra), similar to the state flag, is marked with the national shield
(Escudo Nacional). It is flown by the Peruvian military
and national police
, and is typically inscribed with the service, name and number of the unit flying it.
, the colonial-era Spanish flag
flew over Peru. In 1820, during the struggle for independence, British
-born General William Miller hoisted in Tacna
the first flag that represented the emerging country. Though the original flag itself is now lost, it was described as navy blue
, defaced with a golden sun (possibly representing Inti
).
.svg.png)
The first flag of the Republic of Peru was created by General José de San Martín
, and officially decreed on 21 October 1820. It is diagonally quartered, with white upper and lower fields, and the others red. The flag was defaced with an oval-shaped laurel crown
in the center, surrounding a sun rising behind mountains by the sea. The symbolism of the flag's colors is uncertain, but according to Peruvian author Abraham Valdelomar
, San Martín, having arrived on the coast of southern Pisco
, was inspired by the colors of parihuanas, red-and-white flamingo
s. Historians of the early Peruvian Republic, such as Leguía y Martínez and Pareja Paz Soldán, give a different explanation, suggesting that San Martín took the red from the flag of Chile
and the white from the flag of Argentina
, recognizing the provenance of the men of the liberation army. The flag proved difficult to adopt due to its complex construction; without standardized measurements in place at the time, a triangular flag proved difficult to build.
.svg.png)
In March 1822, José Bernardo de Tagle
, Marquis of Torre Tagle and Supreme Delegate of the Republic, who replaced San Martín provisionally when the latter traveled to Guayaquil
, decreed a new design for the flag. This consisted of a horizontal triband, with a white band between two red ones, and a golden sun
at the center, similar to the flag of Argentina. This modification was justified, according to Torre Tagle, by the inconvenience in the construction of the previous version, among other issues.
A problem came up on the battlefields: the resemblance with the Spanish flag
, especially from far away, made the distinction between the armies difficult, which led to a new change to the flag.
.svg.png)
On 31 May 1822, Torre Tagle changed the flag's design again. The new version was a vertical triband, with red outer bands and a white middle band, with a golden sun representing Inti
at the center.
.svg.png)
On February 25 1825, during Simón Bolívar
's administration, the Constituent Congress changed Cortés.
From 1836 to 1839, Peru was temporarily dissolved into the Republics of South Peru
and North Peru
, which joined Bolivia
to form the Peru–Bolivian Confederation.
The South was formed first, thus adopting a new flag: a red vertical band on the left, with a golden sun and four small stars above (representing Arequipa
, Ayacucho
, Cuzco and Puno
, the four Departments of the republic), and the right side divided into an upper green band and a lower white one. The North kept the currency and all symbols of the dissolved Peru, including its flag.
The flag of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation showed the coats of arms of Bolivia, South and North Peru, from left to right and slanted at different angles, on a red field, adorned by a laurel crown
.
After the dissolution of the Confederation, the old Republic of Peru was restored to its 1836 composition, as were its national symbols.
, adopted in 1965. This does not include, of course, the traditional Canadian symbol of the maple leaf. Peru
's flag is also similar to the Austrian flag
which has the same colors but aligned horizontally.
: March of Flags) is a military march sung during the flag raising. It was created in 1897 by SM Jose Salas Libornio who said President Nicolás de Piérola
, he disagreed with the indiscriminate interpretation of the National Anthem at all official events that were derived from civic events. In December of that year was officially recognized to be executed in any official act.
In all occasions today only 3 out of 4 verses of this flag anthem are sun instead.
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
was adopted by the government of Peru
Government of Peru
Peru is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. Under the current constitution, the President is the head of state and government; he or she is elected for five years and cannot seek immediate re-election, he or she must stand down for at least one full...
in 1825. It is a vertical triband
Triband (flag)
The triband is one of the most common designs of flag, and is the design of some 30% of all current national flags.As the name suggests, the main feature of the design of a triband is three parallel bands of colour. Many non-vexillologists use the term tricolour to describe these flags, but...
with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, it may be defaced
Defacement (flag)
Defacement is a term used in heraldry and vexillology to refer to the addition of a symbol or charge to another flag. For example, the Australian flag is the British Blue Ensign defaced with the Southern Cross in the fly and the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter, beneath the Union...
with different emblems, and has different names. Flag day
Flag Day
A flag day is a flag-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag , or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag....
in Peru is celebrated on June 7, the anniversary of the Battle of Arica
Battle of Arica
The Battle of Arica, also known as Assault and Capture of Arica Cape, was a battle in the War of the Pacific. It was fought on 7 June 1880, between the forces of Chile and Peru....
.
Coat of arms
The Peruvian coat of armsCoat of arms of Peru
The coat of arms of Peru is the national symbolic emblem of Peru. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se ; the national coat of arms, or national shield ; the great seal of the state ; and the naval coat of arms .-Description:All four share the same escutcheon or shield,...
includes the vicuña
Vicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
(a relative of the llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
and alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
), the quina (cinchona
Cinchona
Cinchona or Quina is a genus of about 38 species in the family Rubiaceae, native to tropical South America. They are large shrubs or small trees growing 5–15 metres in height with evergreen foliage. The leaves are opposite, rounded to lanceolate and 10–40 cm long. The flowers are white, pink...
) tree, and a cornucopia of gold.
Meaning of the colors
The color red signifies the blood shed fallen while achieving Peruvian independence. Legend has it that flamingos flying across a white clouded sky from which the inspiration for the colors came. The story goes that inspiration for the flag came when Jose San Martin landed in the southern coastal town of Paracas in 1820 to launch the invasion of Peru and he saw a flock of flamingos take flight.Others say that the white represents peace and the red is the blood from the fighters of their freedom.
National flag (civil flag)
The national or civil flagCivil flag
A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. The use of civil flags was more common in the past, in order to denote buildings or ships that were not manned by the military....
is used by citizens. It has no additions to the common form. It was changed several times; before 1950 it looked like the current national flag and was used as both the civil and state flag, when General Manuel A. Odría
Manuel A. Odría
Manuel Arturo Odría Amoretti was the President of Peru from 1948 to 1956.Manuel Odría was born in 1897 in Tarma, a city in the central Andes just east of Lima. He graduated first in his class from the Chorillos Military Academy in 1915. He joined the army and as a lieutenant-colonel was a war...
removed the coat of arms from the national flag and created the state and war flags.
National ensign (state flag)
The national ensign or state flagState flag
There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in vexillology – the flag of the government of a sovereign state, and the flag of an individual subnational state.-Government flag:...
(pabellón nacional), used by state institutions, is marked with the coat of arms of Peru
Coat of arms of Peru
The coat of arms of Peru is the national symbolic emblem of Peru. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se ; the national coat of arms, or national shield ; the great seal of the state ; and the naval coat of arms .-Description:All four share the same escutcheon or shield,...
(escudo de armas). It is used during ceremonies in which the flag is hoisted in the presence of spectators (as opposed to a static, permanent flag). A form of this flag, the national standard (estandarte nacional) is used indoors by official and private institutions.
War flag
The war flagWar flag
A war flag is a variant of a national flag for use by the nation's military forces on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign — the battle ensign...
(Bandera de Guerra), similar to the state flag, is marked with the national shield
Coat of arms of Peru
The coat of arms of Peru is the national symbolic emblem of Peru. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se ; the national coat of arms, or national shield ; the great seal of the state ; and the naval coat of arms .-Description:All four share the same escutcheon or shield,...
(Escudo Nacional). It is flown by the Peruvian military
Military of Peru
The Peruvian Armed Forces are the military services of Peru, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any threat...
and national police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, and is typically inscribed with the service, name and number of the unit flying it.
Naval jack
The naval jack (bandera de proa) is not based on the triband; it is a square flag, consisting of a white square with the coat of arms (Escudo de Armas) on a red field. It is used on battleships, usually with the ensign of the highest-rank officer on board above it.Proposed flag of 1820
During the Viceroyalty of PeruViceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
, the colonial-era Spanish flag
Flag of Spain
The flag of Spain , as it is defined in the Spanish Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe...
flew over Peru. In 1820, during the struggle for independence, British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
-born General William Miller hoisted in Tacna
Tacna
- Rail :Tacna is served by a cross-border standard gauge railway to Arica, Chile.It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.-Air:Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP...
the first flag that represented the emerging country. Though the original flag itself is now lost, it was described as navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
, defaced with a golden sun (possibly representing Inti
Inti
According to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
).
Flag of 1820
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
, and officially decreed on 21 October 1820. It is diagonally quartered, with white upper and lower fields, and the others red. The flag was defaced with an oval-shaped laurel crown
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
in the center, surrounding a sun rising behind mountains by the sea. The symbolism of the flag's colors is uncertain, but according to Peruvian author Abraham Valdelomar
Abraham Valdelomar
Pedro Abraham Valdelomar Pinto was a Peruvian narrator, poet, journalist, essayist and dramatist; he is considered the founder of the avant-garde in Peru, although more for his dandy-like public poses and his founding of the journal Colónida than for his own writing, which is lyrically...
, San Martín, having arrived on the coast of southern Pisco
Pisco, Peru
Pisco is a city located in the Ica Region of Peru, the capital of the Pisco Province. The city is around 9 metres above sea level. Originally the villa of Pisco was founded in 1640, close to the indigenous emplacement of the same name...
, was inspired by the colors of parihuanas, red-and-white flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s. Historians of the early Peruvian Republic, such as Leguía y Martínez and Pareja Paz Soldán, give a different explanation, suggesting that San Martín took the red from the flag of Chile
Flag of Chile
The national flag of Chile, consists of two unequal horizontal bands of white and red and 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 October 18, 1817...
and the white from the flag of Argentina
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
, recognizing the provenance of the men of the liberation army. The flag proved difficult to adopt due to its complex construction; without standardized measurements in place at the time, a triangular flag proved difficult to build.
Flag of March 1822
José Bernardo de Tagle
José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero, marquis de Torre Tagle and marquis of Trujillo was a Peruvian soldier and politician, occupying the Peruvian presidency from 1823 to 1824.-Biography:...
, Marquis of Torre Tagle and Supreme Delegate of the Republic, who replaced San Martín provisionally when the latter traveled to Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, decreed a new design for the flag. This consisted of a horizontal triband, with a white band between two red ones, and a golden sun
Sun of May
The Sun of May is one of the national emblems of Argentina and Uruguay, and it is featured on the countries' flags.-Features and specifics:The Sun of May is a representation of the Inca sun god Inti...
at the center, similar to the flag of Argentina. This modification was justified, according to Torre Tagle, by the inconvenience in the construction of the previous version, among other issues.
A problem came up on the battlefields: the resemblance with the Spanish flag
Flag of Spain
The flag of Spain , as it is defined in the Spanish Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe...
, especially from far away, made the distinction between the armies difficult, which led to a new change to the flag.
Flag of May 1822
Inti
According to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
at the center.
Flag of 1825
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
's administration, the Constituent Congress changed Cortés.
Flags of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation era, 1836-1839
Republic of South Peru
The Republic of South Peru was one of the three constituent Republics of the short-lived Peru-Bolivian Confederation of 1836-39.South Peru was formed from the division of the Republic of Peru into the Republic of North Peru and the Republic of South Peru...
and North Peru
Republic of North Peru
The Republic of North Peru was one of the three constituent Republics of the short-lived Peru-Bolivian Confederation of 1836-39.North Peru was formed from the division of the Republic of Peru into the Republic of North Peru and the Republic of South Peru...
, which joined Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
to form the Peru–Bolivian Confederation.
The South was formed first, thus adopting a new flag: a red vertical band on the left, with a golden sun and four small stars above (representing Arequipa
Arequipa Region
Arequipa is a region in southwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Ica, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Cusco regions on the north; the Puno Region on the east; the Moquegua Region on the south; and the Pacific Ocean on the west...
, Ayacucho
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho is a region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit by terrorism during the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as the internal conflict in Peru.A referendum was held on...
, Cuzco and Puno
Puno Region
Puno is a region in southeastern Peru. It is bordered by Bolivia on the east, the Madre de Dios Region on the north, the Cusco and Arequipa regions on the west, the Moquegua Region on the southwest, and the Tacna Region on the south...
, the four Departments of the republic), and the right side divided into an upper green band and a lower white one. The North kept the currency and all symbols of the dissolved Peru, including its flag.
The flag of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation showed the coats of arms of Bolivia, South and North Peru, from left to right and slanted at different angles, on a red field, adorned by a laurel crown
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
.
After the dissolution of the Confederation, the old Republic of Peru was restored to its 1836 composition, as were its national symbols.
Flag of 1950
In 1950, General Odría modified the national flag to its current form, removing the coat of arms from the civil flag, since it was used de facto, being easier to make. The national ensign and war flag were created for exclusive uses, each with a variant of the coat of arms, which was also changed slightly. These remain as the official flags today.Similar flags
With some variation in the particular shade of red and the size proportions of the vertical bands, the design of the flag of Peru is similar to that of the flag of CanadaFlag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
, adopted in 1965. This does not include, of course, the traditional Canadian symbol of the maple leaf. Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
's flag is also similar to the Austrian flag
Flag of Austria
The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red , white, and red.The Austrian triband is the second-oldest flag in use at least since 1230, after the Danish flag .- Origins :...
which has the same colors but aligned horizontally.
The Marcha de Banderas
The Marcha de Banderas (SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: March of Flags) is a military march sung during the flag raising. It was created in 1897 by SM Jose Salas Libornio who said President Nicolás de Piérola
Nicolás de Piérola
H.E. Don Jose Nicolás Baltasar Fernández de Piérola y Villena was a prominent Peruvian politician, the Finance Minister and twice President of the Republic of Peru .-Early years:Nicolás de Piérola was born and educated in the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa...
, he disagreed with the indiscriminate interpretation of the National Anthem at all official events that were derived from civic events. In December of that year was officially recognized to be executed in any official act.
|
|
In all occasions today only 3 out of 4 verses of this flag anthem are sun instead.