Peruvian Flag

Peruvian Flag

Flag of Peru

The Chimu culture flourished in Peru from around 1200 a.d., but was gradually superseded by the Inca Empire. On his arrival in Peru in 1531, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro began looting its riches and enslaving its people. By 1533, when the last Inca emperor, Atahaulpa, was assassinated, Spanish rule was firmly established, Lima subsequently serving as the administrative centre of the Viceroyalty of Peru. A revolt against Spanish rule by the Tupac Amaru in 1780 having failed, Peru remained the last Spanish dominion, as well as the last to achieve independence, which it attained in 1824.

The red and white colors of the Peruvian flag, which are said to be those of the Inca Empire, were chosen by General Jose de San Martin, who played an important role in liberating Chile and Argentina from Spanish rule before leading his army of independence in Peru in 1820. Legend tells that San Martin saw a flock of flamingos with white breasts and red wings flying over his troops; interpreting them as a good omen, their colors were declared those of liberty. Peru's red-and-white flag was originally charged with another Inca emblem, a rising sun, which was dropped at the request of Simon Bolivar in 1825, when the flag assumed its present form.