Flag of Argentina

Infobox flag
Name = Argentina
Article =

---

Use = 111111
Symbol =
Proportion = 9:14
Adoption = February 27, 1812
Design = A triband flag with horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue with the yellow Sun of May charged in the center
Designer = Manuel Belgrano
Type = National

The national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a yellow Sun of May was added to the center.

The full flag featuring the sun is called the Official Ceremonial Flag (Lang-es|Bandera Official de Ceremonia). The flag without the sun is considered the Ornamental Flag (Lang|es|Bandera de Ornato). While both versions are equally considered the national flag, the ornamental version must always be hoisted below the Official Ceremony Flag. In vexillological terms, the Official Ceremony Flag is the civil, state and war flag and ensign, while the Ornamental Flag is an alternate civil flag and ensign.

Official description

hape and size

From 1978, the flag's official proportions are 9:14, and its official size is 0.9 by 1.4 metres. It features three stripes alternating cerulean blue - white. Each stripe is 30 centimetres in height. In the center stripe there is an emblem known as the Sun of May ( _es. Sol de Mayo), a golden sun. The Sun is modeled after the symbol of Inti, the Incan god of the Sun. Flags with proportions of 1:2 and 2:3 are also in use.

Colors

The colors are officially defined using the CIE 1976 standard:

Belgrano dispatched a letter addressed to the First Junta, informing them of the newly created flag. The Junta, fearing the Spanish Crown, sent a warning to Belgrano not to fight under the flag, but by the time the reply had arrived, Belgrano had moved on, and was flying the flag on the battlefield.The letter contained the following passage:

By: Leopoldo Corretjer.

Mi Bandera (My Flag)

:

Myths about the flag

The popular interpretation of the flag is that it represents the sky, clouds and sun. However, there are several theories stories about the colors of the flag. One says that the blue symbolizes the clothing of the Virgin Mary and the white symbolizes silver (the name "Argentina" comes from the Latin word for silver, "argentum"). Another story states that the colors are based on those of the House of Bourbon, and a third suggests that they are derived from the Río de la Plata (literally "River of Silver").

It is not known with certainty that Belgrano created the flag, but during the wars of independence against Spain, he was the first to use it, even though the "criollo" government didn't approve it.

Another popular belief is that the version with the sun is a war flag while the sunless version is not, but while this was originally the case after the approval of Congress in 1818, it was changed afterwards.

External links

*
* [http://www.rapiarte.com.ar/cancionesypoesias.htm All anthems to the Argentine flag]
* [http://www.portalargentino.net/simbolos/bandera.htm More information] es
* [http://www.visitarosario.com/monumento Virtual Visit to the Flag Memorial]