Civil Flag of the Republic of Ecuador (1900)

Ecuador was ruled as a colony of Spain from the 16th century until 1822. For a brief time after independence from Spain the former Spanish colonies of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela formed a federation of states called Greater Colombia.

The federation adopted a horizontal striped tricolour flag (yellow, blue and red) based on a design created and first flown at the turn of the 19th century by Central American independence fighters. 

The current flags of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela are all based on this flag.

With the dissolution of the federation of Greater Colombia in 1830, Ecuador became an independent republic. 

The current Ecuadorian national flag has been flown in the same basic form since 1860, but it wasn't officially confirmed until the 7th of November 1900.

Ecuador also has a state flag, which features the national coat of arms placed in the centre of the flag. 

The current state flag was adopted on the 7th of November 1900.

The Symbolic Meaning

Historically the Ecuadorian flag is based on a flag created and flown by independence fighters fighting against Spanish colonial rule. 

At that time yellow symbolised the gold of the New World of the Americas, blue the Atlantic Ocean, which separated the New World from the bloody Old World of Spain, signified by red.

A more modern interpretation has the yellow representing the sun, agriculture and affluence, blue symbolising the sky and water, while red connotes the blood spilt for Ecuadorian independence and for justice.