The flag of La Guajira is made up of two horizontal stripes of equal proportions. The colors of the bands are white at the top and green at the bottom. Its design is simple and does not include any other symbols.
The department of La Guajira is one of the 32 states that make up the country. It is located in the extreme northeast of Colombia, in the Caribbean region. Its capital is Riohacha.
The motto of the department is: "The Homeland of Honor of La Guajira." It alludes to the ancestral Guajira nation, or woumain in its original language, inhabited by the Guajiros. This town preserved its independence throughout European colonialism.
The name of the department of La Guajira comes from the word "guaírra", which in the Wayuu Wayunaiki language is the greeting that the elderly give to their younger relatives.
History
The territory of the department was originally inhabited by various indigenous peoples. Among them were the Guajira, Wiwa, Kogui, Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Guanebucán, Caquetíos, Makuiras, Anates, Coanaos and Eneales peoples.
In the 16th century the territory became part of the Spanish colonial province of Santa Marta. However, the colonial authorities did not exercise total control in the area.
In the 18th century the province of Río del Hacha was created, which included the territories of the current department. In this case, it was not possible to exercise total control over the territory either.
In 1820 the department became independent from the Spanish monarchy, ceasing to be a colony. This became part of the territory of the United States of Colombia.
The current flag is used in an official and representative way since September 29, 1877. The department was national territory until the La Guajira intendancy was created in 1898.
When the department was created in 1965, the same flag that had been used in the La Guajira city hall was taken.
Meaning
Currently the population that extends throughout the department is a mixture product of European colonization and indigenous and mestizo populations.
This is the reason for the strong presence of indigenous symbols and slogans in the representative elements of the department.
The colors of this flag have great symbolic significance. The most outstanding characteristics associated with each color are described below:
White
The white color seeks to represent characteristics of the Guajira indigenous race, mainly its purity, pacifism and nobility.
It also symbolizes the wealth of the department, represented by pearls and salt. Pearls were traditionally harvested and traded by the Guajiro Indians since ancient times.
In turn, salt was the basis of the economy of this region. It was previously considered a kind of white gold.
Green
The green color is associated with the hope of Guajiro farmers in planting and growing their crops.
It is also associated with faith and confidence in the future to come. It symbolizes relaxation, calm and inner peace.
References
- Alvarez-León, R., Aguilera-Quiñonez, J., Andrade-Amaya, CA, & Nowak, P. (1995). General characterization of the upwelling zone in Colombian Guajira.
- Departmental symbols. (sf). Obtained from the Government of La Guajira: laguajira.gov.co
- Symbols Department of La Guajira. (sf). Obtained from Todo Colombia: todacolombia.com
- Flag of La Guajira. (sf). Retrieved from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org
La Guajira. (sf). Retrieved from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org