Flag of Argentina

The national flag of Argentina consists of three equal horizontal bands, with light blue stripes on the top and bottom and a white stripe in the center. Positioned in the middle of the white band is a golden sun emblem known as the Sun of May. This celestial feature includes sixteen straight and sixteen wavy rays radiating from a human face.

Light blue and white are traditionally interpreted as representing the sky and clouds, though some historians link them to the colors of the House of Bourbon or the Virgin Mary. The central emblem, the Sun of May, commemorates the May Revolution of 1810 and serves as an homage to Inti, the Incan sun god. These elements collectively signify the dawn of a new era and the nation's struggle for liberation from colonial rule.

Manuel Belgrano first hoisted the design in Rosario on February 27, 1812, during the Argentine War of Independence. While the Congress of Tucumán officially adopted the triband without the sun in 1816, the 'Sun of May' was added to the center of the state flag in 1818 to represent the newly independent nation. Previously, the territory utilized Spanish colonial banners until the revolutionary forces sought a distinct identity to separate themselves from the crown.