Flag of Uruguay
Encyclopedia
The national flag of Uruguay
(Pabellón Nacional) has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The canton
is white, charged with the Sun of May
, from which 16 rays extend, alternating between triangular and wavy. The flag was first adopted by law on December 16, 1828 and had 17 stripes until July 11, 1830, when a new law reduced the number of stripes to nine. The flag was designed by Joaquín Suárez
.
.
, and the flag of the Treinta y Tres
(Decree 18, February 1952). While the Pabellón Nacional is the main national flag, the other two flags are also officially recognized for historical reasons, and all three are flown together on government buildings.
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
(Pabellón Nacional) has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The canton
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
is white, charged with the Sun of May
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...
, from which 16 rays extend, alternating between triangular and wavy. The flag was first adopted by law on December 16, 1828 and had 17 stripes until July 11, 1830, when a new law reduced the number of stripes to nine. The flag was designed by Joaquín Suárez
Joaquín Suárez
Joaquín Luis Miguel Suárez de Rondelo was a Uruguayan political figure. He gave his name to Joaquín Suárez .-Head of State of Uruguay:...
.
Symbolism and design
The nine horizontal stripes on the flag represents the nine original departments of UruguayDepartments of Uruguay
||Uruguay consists of 19 departments :# Artigas . Formed in 1884 from part of Salto Department. The only department to border both Argentina in the west and Brazil in the north and east.# Canelones . One of the original 6 departments created in 1816...
.
National banners
Unusual among nations, Uruguay has three official "National Banners" (Banderas Patrias): the Pabellón, as described above, the flag of ArtigasFlag of Artigas
The Flag of Artigas pays homage to José Gervasio Artigas, national hero of Uruguay. It has three horizontal stripes, the top and bottom being blue, and the central one white...
, and the flag of the Treinta y Tres
Flag of the Treinta y Tres
The Flag of the Treinta y Tres is an official flag in use in Uruguay.-Historical background:It pays homage to the disembarkation of the Thirty-Three Orientals at Agraciada Beach, on April 19, 1825.-Features:...
(Decree 18, February 1952). While the Pabellón Nacional is the main national flag, the other two flags are also officially recognized for historical reasons, and all three are flown together on government buildings.