Guatemala’s flag—vertical blue, white, blue with the coat of arms centred—was adopted on 17 August 1871 after liberal reforms. Blue signifies the two oceans and the sky; white denotes peace and purity. The arms show the resplendent quetzal (liberty), a scroll dated 15 September 1821, crossed rifles (readiness), swords (honour), and laurel (victory). A 5:8 ratio and decrees standardise colours, the crest drawing, and protocol; civil flags may omit arms.
Guatemala’s modern flag was proclaimed on 17 August 1871 amid the Liberal Revolution’s transformation of state symbols. It restored the Central American blue–white–blue colours but uniquely arranged them vertically—blue at the hoist and fly, white at centre—with the national coat of arms imposed on the white stripe for state use.
The design’s antecedents reach to the independence of 15 September 1821 and the United Provinces of Central America (1823–1839), whose blue–white–blue horizontal triband represented the two oceans flanking the isthmus and a shared republican identity. After the federation dissolved, Guatemala experimented with flags reflecting alternating political currents, including a red–yellow–red scheme under conservative rule to echo Spain.
Liberal reformers in 1871 reasserted the regional palette, but shifted to vertical bands to create a distinctly Guatemalan banner. Blue denotes the Pacific and Caribbean as well as the sky; white signifies peace and the purity of civic aspiration. The 5:8 proportion was defined in subsequent decrees, and colour references were codified to reduce variance.
The coat of arms, introduced alongside the flag, centres a resplendent quetzal—national bird and emblem of liberty—perched on a parchment scroll inscribed “15 de septiembre de 1821,” the date of independence. Behind the scroll stand crossed Remington rifles, symbolising readiness to defend sovereignty, and crossed sabres for honour. A laurel wreath encircles the ensemble, signifying victory and civic virtue. Later standardisations, notably in 1968, refined the artwork for consistency across ministries and military uses.
Law distinguishes the state flag (with arms), the civil flag (without), and maritime ensigns. Protocol prescribes precedence with foreign flags, half‑masting for national mourning by decree, and illumination when flown at night. Worn banners are retired with dignity. Schools teach respectful handling—never allowing the flag to touch the ground—and proper folding, and observe ceremonies on Independence Day, 15 September, when the flag is omnipresent in parades and public squares.
Guatemala’s banner thus binds nineteenth‑century federative heritage to a distinct national symbol. Its vertical layout, quetzal crest, and legal protections produce a recognisable emblem for domestic institutions and missions abroad, while civil variants without arms enable broad civic display under the same colour tradition.