Civil Flag of the Republic of Venezuela (1954)

Venezuela was ruled as a colony of Spain from the 16th century until independence was proclaimed on the 5th of July 1811. 

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.

When Venezuela separated from the federation of Greater Colombia in 1829, it proclaimed its independence and adopted a yellow-blue-red horizontal striped tricolour as the national flag.

Although minor alterations have been made over the years the basic tricolour has been maintained, with the current flag confirmed on the 17th of February 1954

The Symbolic Meaning

Historically the Venezuelan 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 new opportunities, red symbolising Spain and blue representing the Atlantic Ocean, which separates the two.

The seven five-pointed stars represent the seven provinces in existence at the time of Venezuelan independence.