Bolivian
Flag
Flag of
Bolivia
Nicknamed the
'Rooftop of the World' because of its elevated position in the Andes
Mountains, Bolivia was part of the Inca civilization before being
conquered by Spain in 1538. Then known as Upper Peru, it remained under
Spanish rule until liberated in 1825 by the nationalist and revolutionary
leader Simon Bolivar, after whom the modern nation was named. (Bolivar
had already liberated his native Venezuela (in 1821), Colombia and
Ecuador (in 1822) and Peru (in 1824) from Spanish rule.)
The Bolivian flag of 1825 consisted of three horizontal bands in the
order red-green-red, with five golden stars within laurel wreaths. In
1826, the order of stripes was altered to yellow (top), green (middle)
and red (bottom), in the center of which were placed the arms. The flag
was altered in 1851 to the flag that is in current use. The order of the
stripes were again changed and now run red, yellow and green. The red is
symbolic of the blood shed in the struggle for independence, as well as
Bolivia's courage, the yellow represents the country's rich mineral
wealth, while the green signifies its natural fertility and agriculture.
