Flag of Carabobo (Venezuela): History and Meaning

The state flag Carabobo It is one of the official symbols of the moral and historical heritage in the idiosyncrasy of that state. It was approved by an independent jury in 1995 in a flag design contest sponsored by the Carabobo state government.

This state represents in its flag one of the major symbols characteristic of the independence struggles of Venezuela: the Arco de Carabobo. This monument was built in commemoration of the victory at the Battle of Carabobo, on June 24, 1821.

The monument has always been a source of pride for the inhabitants of the state and its capital, the city of Valencia, considering themselves heirs of that feeling of struggle and victory.

Also part of the symbols of this flag is the sea, which has been very important for the development of the country and particularly of the Carabobo state.

Description of the flag and meaning

The proportions for the measures of the Carabobo state flag are the same as most of the national and regional flags. Its base or width will be equal to its height plus half of said measurement; that is, 1.5 times the measure of its height.

The colors included in this flag are purple, blue, green and yellow. It also has two elements or symbols; an emerging or rising sun and the figure of the Arco del Campo de Carabobo.

Purple color

This is the main color of the Carabobo state flag. It could be said that the entire background of the flag is purple, whose color specification is based on the Pantone color control system, under the identification number 1805 C.

This purple close to red, symbolizes the blood of the men of the liberating patriot army that was spilled in the field of the Battle of Carabobo. This battle, according to historians, was the decisive war event of the emancipation of Venezuela.

Strip of blue color

The Carabobo state flag has a blue band that runs horizontally across the purple rectangle of the background.

The Carabobo state is part of the central states of northern Venezuela and has an important outlet to the sea at a tourist and economic level; the coastal city of Puerto Cabello. As its name indicates, it is a port and one of the most important in Venezuela commercially.

This access to the sea has been a characteristic element of this state. It has allowed him to improve the economy, due to the constant maritime traffic throughout history, both of people and merchandise.

The color blue represents the important maritime access of the Carabobo state. The Pantone color specification of this blue is 274 C.

Green Line

This fine green line also crosses the entire length of the flag horizontally, being above the blue strip, but interrupted by the half circle of the rising sun.

Green means the large scale of agricultural production that has characterized the Carabobo state throughout its history. Thanks to its mountains, relief and climate, it has fertile territories and good river irrigation in its lands.

It also symbolizes the power at ecological level that the state owns due to its mountainous areas, valleys and countryside. This green color has Pantone color identification number 3415 C.

The yellow rising sun

This emerging sun (half yellow circle) is positioned a little to the right from the center of the flag and just above the blue strip, as if it were dawning from the horizon of the sea. The Pantone chromatic identification of the yellow of the sun is yellow C.

The sun has 47 rays of three different lengths (short, medium and long) projected around its circumference, which represents the age to which the Liberator Simón Bolívar . The color is the same as that of the sun.

The rays are arranged symmetrically on the basis of a long central beam at the top of the half circle. From it are arranged sequentially and on each side a medium ray, a short, a medium and a long until adding 23 to the right and 23 to the left.

This sun represents the light that fights and defeats the shadows and the light that illuminates the development of the inhabitants of the state towards integral development.

The Arch of Carabobo

Within the circumference of the sun you can see the figure or silhouette of the Arco del Campo de Carabobo monument, mounted just above the blue strip. The color of the bow is gray, with the number 443 C in the Pantone chromatic identification table.

With this symbol of the Arco de Carabobo, the military feat that consolidated Venezuela as a free nation is commemorated. In addition, the monument is an inherent reference that characterizes the essence and history of the Carabobo state.

History

Carabobo did not have an official flag until 1995, when a design contest organized by state authorities and under Governor Henrique Salas Römer was held. The winner of the contest -with the design explained above- was Miss Conchita Zamora Mota.

For the year 2006, specifically on March 12, the then governor Luis Felipe Acosta Carlés made some changes to the flag. He kept the same symbols and features, increased in size to the sun and with it to the silhouette of the Arco de Carabobo.

The yellow of the sun changed to orange, the blue to navy blue, the green to light green and the purple became darker. The sun's rays were placed in a wavy manner.

This flag was presented at the art school Arturo Michelena in the capital of Valencia, an event attended by more than 1500 children from various educational institutions of the state that participated in the design change contest.

By December 2008, in the act of taking office of Governor Henrique Salas Feo, the initial flag of 1995 was restored as the official flag of the Carabobo state.

In 2010, the partial reform of 2006 is made, where all the details of the design are specified, reestablishing the 95 version.

References

1. Dov Gutterman (2004). Carabobo State (Venezuela). Five Star Flags. Recovered from fotw.fivestarflags.com
2. Zoltán Horváth (2014). Carabobo State (Venezuela). Flags of the World. FOTW Website. Retrieved from flagspot.net
3. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela - Carabobo State (2010). Official Gazette of the Carabobo State number 3263 of June 21, 2010 - Chapter I and II on the Carabobo State Flag. State Printing Carabobo. Bolivarian Governorate of Carabobo State. Recovered from carabobo.gob.ve
4. State flag Carabobo (1995). Recovered from esacademic.com
5. Marianella Rodriguez (2006). Carabobo modified his Flag. The Universal web. Recovered from eluniversal.com