Flag of Venezuela
Native & traditional name: Bandera Nacional de Venezuela
| Entity | Venezuela (VE) |
|---|---|
| Type | Sovereign national flag (national, civil) |
| Proportion | 2:3 (2:3) |
| Primary colors | yellow, blue, red, white |
| Main symbol | star (×8) |
| Arrangement | horizontal tricolor (yellow · blue · red) |
| Official adoption | 2006-03-12 |
| Region | South America |
Plain-language visual description
The national flag of Venezuela consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow, blue, and red, charged in the center of the middle blue stripe with a semicircular arc of eight white five-pointed stars.
Construction and geometry
Proportion & symmetry: The Flag of Venezuela uses a statutory 2:3 height-to-width ratio on a rectangular field with vertical mirror symmetry. Three equal horizontal stripes (1:1:1) of yellow, blue, and red with an arc of 8 white five-pointed stars centered on the blue stripe.
- Aspect ratio is 2:3.
- Three equal horizontal stripes (1:1:1) of yellow, blue, and red.
- Eight white five-pointed stars arranged along a 140-degree centered circular arc on the blue stripe.
Official colors and specification system
Rather than manufacturing false RGB precision where a statute specifies dyed cloth, Pantone, Munsell, or CIE coordinates, the table below records the governing color system alongside a calibrated display hex approximation.
| Color | Official shade name | Specification system | Statutory / standard code | Display hex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yellow | Yellow (Amarillo) | pantone | Pantone 116 C | #FFCC00 |
| blue | Blue (Azul) | pantone | Pantone 286 C | #00247D |
| red | Red (Rojo) | pantone | Pantone 186 C | #CF142B |
| white | White | statute-named | Named in statute | #FFFFFF |
Meaning and symbolism
Documented symbolism
Under the 2006 Law of National Flag, Hymn and Coat of Arms, the three equal horizontal stripes preserve Francisco de Miranda's 1806 colors: yellow for the wealth of the nation's soil, blue for the Caribbean Sea separating Venezuela from European colonial rule, and red for the blood spilled by patriots in the War of Independence.
The eight white five-pointed stars represent the seven provinces that signed the 1811 Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (Caracas, Cumaná, Barcelona, Barinas, Margarita, Mérida, and Trujillo) plus the eighth province of Guayana, added in accordance with Simón Bolívar's decree of 20 November 1817.
Common interpretations
Unlike Colombia and Ecuador, which use a 2:1:1 stripe ratio where yellow takes up half the flag, Venezuela uses three equal 1:1:1 stripes and places an arc of white stars across the blue band.
History and design evolution
General Francisco de Miranda first raised the yellow-blue-red tricolor aboard the Leander at Jacmel on 12 March 1806 and brought it ashore on the Venezuelan mainland at La Vela de Coro on 3 August 1806. Following the declaration of independence, the First Republic of Venezuela officially adopted Miranda's tricolor on 14 July 1811.
In May 1817, the Congress of Cariaco added seven stars to represent the seven founding provinces, and after liberating Angostura in November 1817, Simón Bolívar issued a decree adding an eighth star for the province of Guayana. Following the breakup of Gran Colombia in 1830, Venezuela standardized three equal horizontal bands in 1836 and settled on a seven-star circular and later semicircular arrangement in 1905, 1930, and 1954.
On 9 March 2006 (taking effect on National Flag Day, 12 March 2006), the National Assembly enacted a revised National Symbols Law restoring Bolívar's eighth star to the central semicircle on the blue band.
Key historical milestones
- 1806Miranda's Expedition: Francisco de Miranda raises the yellow-blue-red tricolor on 12 March 1806.
- 1817Bolívar's Eighth Star Decree: Simón Bolívar decrees an eighth star for the liberated province of Guayana on 20 November 1817.
- 1954Seven-Star Arc: The 1954 National Symbols Law standardizes seven stars in a semicircle.
- 2006Eight-Star Restoration: The 2006 reform adds the eighth star to the central arc effective 12 March 2006.
Frequently confused with
The Flag of Venezuela is commonly confused with or compared alongside the following flags due to shared colors, stripe geometry, or central emblems:
Visually and structurally similar flags
Ranked deterministically across layout family (35%), color overlap and stripe order (25%), symbols (20%), aspect ratio (10%), and stripe/symmetry geometry (10%):
Sources and image-rights provenance
- Ley de Bandera Nacional, Himno Nacional y Escudo de Armas de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela — Gaceta Oficial No. 38.394
- World Factbook: Venezuela Flag Description
SVG artwork provenance: Constructed from statutory specifications (public-domain-statute, verified 2026-10-13, SHA-256 aa190a9bc5e8…).