The Secret History Behind Ecuador's Flag
Ecuador's yellow band is twice as wide as the others, and that is on purpose.
The design goes back to the tricolor of Francisco de Miranda, which General Antonio José de Sucre raised after the victory at the Battle of Pichincha in 1822. It was adopted by law in 1835 and again on September 26, 1860, and the coat of arms was added to the center in 1900.
The arms show an Andean condor above a shield with Mount Chimborazo and the Guayas River. Yellow is read as the wealth of the land, blue as the sky and the Pacific, and red as the blood shed for liberty.
The date printed on every Ecuador design in our catalog, August 10, 1809, is the day of the first cry of independence in Quito.
A condor, a mountain and a band of gold that is never the same size as the rest.
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.