FLAG OF CARABOBO (VENEZUELA): HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

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

This state represents on its flag one of the greatest characteristic symbols of the Venezuelan independence struggles: the Arch of Carabobo. This monument was built in commemoration of the victory in 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.

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

Flag description and meaning

The proportions for the measurements 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 measure; that is, 1.5 times 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 Campo de Carabobo Arch.

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 chromatic 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 shed on the field of the Battle of Carabobo. This battle, according to historians, was the decisive war event of the emancipation of Venezuela.

Blue stripe

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

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 town of Puerto Cabello. As its name indicates, it is a commercial port and one of the most important in Venezuela.

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

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

Green Line

This thin 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 signifies 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 with good river irrigation on its lands.

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

The yellow rising sun

This emerging sun (yellow half circle) is positioned slightly to the right from the center of the flag and just above the blue stripe, as if it were rising from the horizon of the sea. The Pantone color identification of sun yellow is yellow C.

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

The rays are arranged symmetrically based on a long central ray at the top of the half circle. Starting from it, a medium ray, a short, a medium and a long ray are arranged sequentially on each side 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 arch is gray, with the number 443 C in the Pantone table of color identification.

With this symbol of the Arch of 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. It kept the same symbols and features, increased in size to the sun and with it to the silhouette of the Arch of Carabobo.

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

This flag was presented at the Arturo Michelena School of Visual Arts in the capital of Valencia, an event attended by more than 1500 children from various educational institutions in the state who 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, re-establishing the version of the 95.

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. Recovered 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 Flag of the Carabobo State. Carabobo State Printing Office. Bolivarian Government of the Carabobo State. Recovered from carabobo.gob.ve
4. Flag of the Carabobo state (1995). Recovered from esacademic.com
5. Marianella Rodriguez (2006). Carabobo modified its Flag. The Universal web. Recovered from eluniversal.com