National Flag of the Republic of Chile (1817)

Colonised and ruled by Spain from the 16th century, Chile achieved self-government in 1818. Chile's national flag emerged during the country's struggle for independence. 

It was adopted on the 18th of October 1817 and has remained unchanged since then.

The creation of the Chilean flag has been attributed to an American citizen fighting with the Chilean independence movement; the flags design was influenced by the stars and stripes flag of the USA.

The Symbolic Meaning

The white five-pointed star represents a guide to progress and honour, with the blue background standing for the skies above Chile. 

The white horizontal stripe signifies the snow on top of the Andes, which border the country to its east and the red horizontal stripe represents the blood spilt for Chilean independence.