The Secret History Behind El Salvador's Flag
El Salvador's flag has five volcanoes, and each one stands for a country.
The blue-white-blue flag comes from the Federal Republic of Central America of the 1820s. El Salvador used a flag that looked like the American one between 1865 and 1912. On May 27, 1912, the country went back to the colors of the Federation.
In the center is a triangle with five volcanoes between two seas under a red Phrygian cap, the symbol of liberty. The five volcanoes represent El Salvador and the other members of the Federation: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The blue stripes are read as the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and the white as peace.
The date printed on every El Salvador design in our catalog, September 15, 1821, is the day Central America declared independence from Spain.
Five volcanoes, two oceans and a region that is still counted together.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.