Flag of Colorado

Flag of Colorado

Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	December 4, 1911
Design	Three horizontal stripes of blue, white, and blue. On top of these stripes sits a circular red "C", filled with a golden disk.
Designed by	Andrew Carlisle Johnson

The flag of the state of Colorado consists of three horizontal stripes of equal width; the top and bottom stripes are blue, and the middle stripe white. On top of these stripes sits a circular red "C", filled with a golden disk. The blue is meant to represent the skies, the gold stands for the sunshine enjoyed by the state, the white represents the snowcapped mountains and the red represents the red colored earth (from Spanish "Colorado" meaning "red").^[1]

History

The flag was designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson^[2] in 1911 and adopted by the Colorado General Assembly on June 5 of the same year.

However, the legislature did not specify the size of the "C" or the exact shade of blue or red. Thus, some flags were in slightly different colors and had the "C" wholly within the center stripe. On February 28, 1929, the General Assembly added to the description of the flag that the blue and red would be the same color as the flag of the United States. On March 31, 1964, the legislature further dictated the diameter of the gold disc to be equal to the center stripe.

State flag, 1907-1911

Pre-1964 variation

An example of a Colorado state highway sign

Colorado state flag flying with U.S. flag in Durango, Colorado.

In a 2001 survey of 72 state, provincial and territorial flags in North America conducted by the North American Vexillological Association, Colorado's flag was ranked number 16.^[3]

The Colorado state flag is also incorporated into the design of Colorado's state highway markers.

See also

Colorado portal

• State of Colorado
  • Law and government of Colorado
    • Symbols of the state of Colorado
      • Great Seal of the State of Colorado
• Flags of the U.S. states

References

1. ^ Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration (DPA) Division of Information Technologies (DoIT): Colorado State Archives: History FAQs. Accessed online January 18, 2009.
2. ^ Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration (DPA) Division of Information Technologies (DoIT): Colorado State Archives: Symbols & Emblems. Accessed online January 18, 2009.
3. ^ New Mexico Tops State/Provincial Flags Survey, Georgia Loses by Wide Margin Press release from the North American Vexillological Association. Accessed online January 18, 2009.

External links

• State of Colorado website
  • The Flag of the State of Colorado
• Colorado at Flags of the World