The Secret History Behind Venezuela's Flag
Venezuela's yellow, blue and red were first flown on an expedition that failed.
The flag is essentially the one designed by Francisco de Miranda for his unsuccessful expedition in 1806 to liberate Venezuela, and it was adopted by the National Congress in 1811. Miranda is said to have been inspired by the colors of a regiment from Hamburg.
The colors are read as yellow for the wealth of the land, blue for the sea that separates Venezuela from Spain, and red for the blood shed in the independence war.
The stars came later. Seven stars were added in 1836 for the seven provinces that supported independence, and an eighth, the "Bolívar Star", was added in 2006.
The date printed on every Venezuela design in our catalog, July 5, 1811, is the day Venezuela declared independence.
A flag born from a failure and kept for two centuries.
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.