Flag of Costa Rica

Five horizontal stripes of blue, white, red, white, and blue compose the design, with the central red stripe being twice the width of the other bands. A coat of arms featuring three volcanoes and seven stars is positioned on the red band, shifted toward the hoist side.

Blue stripes signify the sky, intellectual thinking, and the opportunities found within the nation, whereas white represents peace, wisdom, and happiness. The central red band symbolizes the blood shed by independence martyrs and the warmth of the Costa Rican people. On the coat of arms, the seven stars represent the country's provinces, and the three volcanoes denote the mountain ranges that divide the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Pacífica Fernández, the wife of President José María Castro Madriz, designed the original layout in 1848 to mirror the colors of the French Tricolour. Although the stripe pattern has remained largely unchanged, the current version was officially adopted in 1906 with specific updates to the national emblem. Earlier iterations included the blue and white horizontal stripes used by the United Provinces of Central America after the region gained independence from Spain.