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![[Flag of Colombia]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.crwflags.com%2ffotw%2fflags%2f..%2fimages%2fc%2fco.gif)
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Colombia,EcuadorandVenezuela retained the tricolour of theGreat Colombian Federate Republic when it broke up 1830-32. Itwas designed by Francisco Miranda and was carried by SimonBolivar in all his battles to free South America from Spanishrule (he had hoped that the Gran Colombia would be a step towardsfederating all of South America).
The colours are said to symbolise golden America seperated frombloody Spain by the blue sea.
Paul Adams, 29 November 1995
The Gran Colombia Tricolour was originally the family/personalFlag of Francisco de Miranda. Miranda's flag had as much chanceof becoming the flag for the Colombia/Ecuador/Venezuelarevolution as Simon Bolivar's flag.
Miranda's was "chosen" because it was already in use byMiranda's militant faction before Bolivar (who at the time wastaking a more diplomatic approach to the Spanish rule problem)actively joined the military effort.
This information is not based in any one published document, buton my general education (I grew up in Venezuela). If you wish, Ican try to dig up Simon Bolivar's flag (red field with blueborder, and - I think - a gold or silver star in the middle --forgive my bad terminology), and any other historical flagsrelated to this region.
Fabio E. Speciale, 13 March 1997
Concering the República de la Gran Colombia (the federationof Venezuela, Nueva Granada [Colombia] and Quito [Ecuador). Ibelieve the information above about the Great Colombia is notcorrect. Its design is, indeed, based in Miranda's tricolori,adopted by the first Vednezuelan Government of 1811 and it wascertainly used by Bolivar (with certain modifications) throughouthis political carreer. However, the symbolism cited by FabioSpeciale is incomplete and the origin of the Miranda Tricoloriitself, mentioned by Mr Speciale is inaccurate. The yellow, blueand red flag was not derived from Miranda's familya colours.Despite the fact that he toyed with the idea of a South AmericnaKingdom, General Miranda was not a nobleman: he was not thedescendant fo Spanish Officers or a member of the Criollonobility which ruled. While white, General Miranda was the son ofa well-off but not "honourable" craftsman. As a matterof fact, a controversy with the local upper class over hisfather's origins, led General Miranda to pursue a life abroad,away from the discriminating province of Caracas. In such life,he lived many adventures, joined the American and FrenchRevolutions, was part of Europe's most important courts and,while gazing at the colours of a Hamburg Granadier's regime, gotthe idea for the tricolori (red-blue-yellow; depicted somehow inevery flag he designed). Also, there is no such thing aBolivar's Flag. Not what Mr Specially cites, at least. Bolivardesigned a flag much similar to that of 1814 (shown in yourpages), but adding one blue star to the seven which lied alreadyon the yellow stripe, representing liberated Angostura.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 23 September 1999
The image at the top of the page represents the flag of whatis now known as the "Great Colombia" Republic, knownthen (in 1821), plainly as the República de Colombia.Current-day Colombia was then named "Nueva Granada",and had its own CoA and flag . This flag is not of Colombia (aswe know it today) but of the union of the republics of Venezuela,Nueva Granada (Colombia) and Ecuador.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 4 November 1999
Bolivar organized Angostura Congress in february 1819 and inAugust was he formed some kind of executive congress as aprovisional government but mainly military. In this era was usedthe tricolor of Miranda, but it was never legislated and the itsvariants and devices if any, are uncertain
On 17 december 1819 the Republic of Colombia wasproclaimed (historicaly known as Great Colombia but then calledonly Colombia), under the conservative leader Bolivar, with threedepartments (Venezuela, Cundinamarca and nominally Quito that wasstill in hands of royalists). Vice-Presidents were theNew-Granadian Santander, liberal, and Roscio. By a decree it wasstablished at the end of 1919 that the new republic will use theflag of Venezuela until another decree of General Congress,arguing that the ensign of Venezuela is the most known.
Venezuela used the Miranda flag in 1811-1812. It was underspanish domination but in 1813 Bolivar in the called"Campana Admirable" recover wide areas and declared waruntil death against the spanish, but seems that in this era theMiranda flag was not widely used. After defeated by Boves in1814, Bolivar fought in New Grenada under venezolan orCartagenian/Granadinian flag but in 1815/16, the Spanishrecovered all territories. Rebellion restarted in 1817 underMiranda flag in Venezuela, and 1819 in New Granada. Venezuela-NewGranada formed the Colombia republic at end of 1819 and adoptedthe tricolor. Generally used without arms (in Venezuela, starswere added temporary) the first pattern of the used state flagwas based on the Venezuelan flag of 1811, with the arms incanton. This flag was in use officially until 10 January 1820 inthe so-called Great Colombia (Venezuela-Nueva Granada) when itwas changed in the department of Cundinamarca (but later in usein Venezuela). Is possible that the arms were also put in centerinstead canton
In 1820 Cundinamarca adopted arms that were put on the flag whileVenezuela maintain the old flag. Some weeks later this arms wereadopted as provisional arms of the whole republic and was put onflags (in all the republic of Great Colombia). In 1821 the firstofficial arms of Colombia were adopted and put on flags in wholeof the Republic. In 1822 second arms were adopted.
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
On 10 January 1820, the department of Cundinamarca, one of thethree official departments of the republic (in fact only twosince the third was in hands of Spain) adopted arms of its ownalleging that the arms of the republic (that was supposed to beused by in wholerepublic but was really used only in Venezuela)are not known in Cundinamarca (I assume that it was not known tothe people and intermediate and minor autorities). This arms, puton flags, was the orign to a departamental flag. While Venezuelafollow using the previous flag, that was the Republic one (but infact was only the Venezuela departament flag). No indication wasgiven where must be the arms in flag: following national flag itmust be mainly in canton, but most comon is use in center.
On 12 July 1821, the national congress decree that the arms ofCundinamarca must be used on the national flag, as national armsuntil that new arms are decreed. Thus, the departamental flag ofCundinamarca was converted into national flag of the GreatColombia, and officially must be used in the department ofVenezuela. A variant with the lower stripes of same size, wasalso used. (see:1820 Cundinamarca Flagsand Coat of Arms)
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
Lucien Philippe reports flag with stripes 8:7:6 and centeredarms dated 1821. I reconstructed this reports with the oval model(according plate and according Philippe), single emblem, andround model (from Philippe). (see:1821Flags and Coat of Arms).
Also Philippe mentions flags with stars. Restrepo don't believethat those are Colombian New-Granadian but Colombian Venezuelan.The sure fact is that in on 12 May 1817 the governmente called"Federal Pampatar government" was established inVenezuela that adopted the Miranda's flag with seven light bluestars. In 20 November 1817 a eighth star was added meaningGuayana. Philippe reports this flags as used in Colombia c. 1820,but this is probably a missinterpretation. Philippe even reportsa flag with 9 stars it but must be a wrong hand made flag or amistake. With three stars the models are well known. There aremany variants and those were used probably between 1819 and 1921,only on flags with stripes 2:1:1. (see:Venezuela - Historical Flags)
Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
On 11 July 1822 Guayaquil was incorporated and Republic ofColombia (known as Great Colombia) reached its finalconfiguration (Puerto Cabello was conquered some months later andon 1 June 1824 was the last battle against the pro-spanishforces. According Restrepo Uribe new arms were adopted c. 1822and are shown in many official documents. The image from restreposhow 3 stars (surely for three original departments) but alsoshow a variant with 10 stars, and quote the existence of othersvariants with different number of stars. The most appropiatedesigns must be of 3, 9 and 12 stars since the departments werechanged from 3 to 9 (with two still in hands of Spain) and from 9to 12. (see:1822 Coat ofArms)
This arms were put on flags either in the canton or in thecenter. The first pattern must be used in flags with stripes indifferent proportions for each one, but I believe that the secondand third pattern were used with stripes ratio of 2:1:1. (see:1822 Flags)
From the creation of the republic surrounding forces workedagainst it. General Paez in venezuela directed the movementcalled "Cosiata" on April 1826 and denied the autorityof the acting president General Santander. Bolivar, that was outthe country, got back to Bogota, took the presidency on 1827 andstopped the attempt of separation of Venezuela and started thedictaturship. However, Paez remain in control of the militaryforces in Venezuela and neighbourghs departments. In 1828liberals try to depose the conservative Bolivar in the"Revolution of September". On October 1828, theliberals Jose Maria Obando y Jose Hilario Lopez revolted in CaucaValley, but were defeated. Then a war against Peru was startedsince Cundinamarca claimed Maynas and Jaen. On November 1829,Paez, for another time, didn't recognize the authority of theCongress and a new congress was assembled in Valencia nd on 21January 1830 proclaimed the independence of Venezuela. Bolivarwas dismissed and left to exile. A convention in Bogota (the"Congreso Admirable") in January accepted the end ofthe Republic. Guayaquil and Quito also separated. Departments ofBoyaca, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Magdalena and Panama (renamed Istmo)created a new state named Colombia.
Jaume Ollé, 7 October 2001
Before 1834, the shade of blue in colobian flags was celeste(light blue) and not the same shade of the current national flag.
Jaume Ollé, 26 October 2001
At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs: Flaggen aller seefahrendenNationen, 1971 [nor71] (originalprint 1848):
276 Colombia - Yellow over blue over white 2:1:1, with in theyellow in the hoist three five-pointed blue stars pointing down,placed 2 before 1. If the last stripe is supposed to be red, thislooks like a Great Columbian flag, with the stars directly on theflag, instead of in arms on the flag. (see:Venezuela - Historical Flags)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001
I found in the following pagewww.banrep.gov.coan old flag of Great Colombia Federal Republic which has thethree stripes with equal wide (like the original flag design byFrancisco de Miranda and the current Flag of Venezuela). Itcalled my attention so much because I thought that in GreatColombia the stripes with different wide were always used (even Iknow that in some cases appears flags with three differentwides).
Francisco Gregoric, 13 Febuary 2003
According to which we have investigating until now, some GreatColombia' Military Corps used standards with equal stripes. Inaddition to which on the link provided to us by Franciscoappears the Standard of the Battalion "VICTORIOUS INAYACUCHO" which also shows equal stripes.
Raul Orta, 28 Febuary 2003
On February 15, 1819, the Congreso de Angostura (Congress ofAngostura, see:Spanishwikipedia) gathered the representativesof Venezuela, Nueva Granada (New Granada, nowColombia) and Quito (now Ecuador) met in Angostura (full nameSanto Tomé de Guayana de Angostura del Orinoco, changed toCiudad Bolivar in 1846) in Venezuela. This was in the context ofindependence wars by the previously mentioned countries, as wellas Peru, Bolivia and Panama (then part of Colombia).
The purpose was to establish basic princples for the era when the war will be over and they establish a Ley Fundamental (Foundation Law) or Constituion. At the end it was agreed to meet again. This new meeting was held between August 30 and October 3, 1821 in the City of Cucuta, Colombia. There, the Constitución de 1821 (known as the Constitución de Cúcuta, full text atwww.antiescualidos.com)was proclaimed, establishing the República de Colombia.
Source:wikipedia.
E.R., 25 August 2008
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
National flag provisorily adopted on 17 December 1819 by theFundamental Law of the Republic of Colombia (Gran Colombia)
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
I first draw the indian women in the 1820 arms from thedrawing by Restrepo Uribe in Banderas 30. In fact seems tobe an native man, but no doubt that correctly it is an nativewoman. I analyzed the details and it must be a woman in the imageof Banderas (#30). I retouched it to give a more femenin aspectto it without changing the design from Banderas.
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
Flag of the Republic of Colombia (Gran Colombia) prescribed by the Law of 4 October 1821 adopted by the Constituent Congress in Villa del Rosario de Cúcuta
image byJaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image byJaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
I believe this Coat of Arms was based onFrance's emblem although a moreelaborate version can bee seen here atRalf Hartemnik'sCivic Arms Heraldry website. This symbol is officially called"The National Symbol of the French Republic" (since1953) and this version of the National Symbol of the FrenchRepublic was created under the 4th Republic by a ministerialcommission meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on June3rd, 1953
Source:RobertLouis' website.
Colombia most likely adopted this Emblem as a Coat of Arms basedon the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen madein France in 1798, translated from French to Spanish for thefirst time by Antonio Nariño, a man who would be later be one ofthe leaders of Colombia's independence, having aDepartment named after him and also aGeneral who participated in the early battles of Colombia'sIndependence waivinghis own flag.Antonio Nariño himself was influenced greatly, as were otherSouth American leaders of the time, by the French ideal of aRepublic.
E.R., 25 November 2007
TheMinistry of Culture of Colombia as well as theNational Museum show the flag of the 1er Batallón de las Milicias Regladas de Cartagena (ca. 1823). The flag's dimension is 168 x 162,5 cm.
However both images are wrongly displayed: notice that the top color is blue, where it really should be a 90° rotation clockwise so the top color is yellow and the CoA is well read.
The flag has this coat of arms on the middle in gold, plus the name of the Battalion around it.
Esteban Rivera, 24 April 2010
image byEugene Ipavec, 25 August 2008
I believe there is a variant of this flag where the Coat ofArms on the flag is actually golden, based on apicture seen atpresidenciaweb site.
E.R., 25 August 2008
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