What Is The Meaning Behind The Colors of The Flag of Spain?
The name Spain is said to have been derived from the word Ispania, which means the land of rabbits. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Spanish coat of arms depicts two crown-topped pillars of Hercules (with red banners displaying the motto in Latin, "PLUS ULTRA," meaning "More Beyond," alluding to Columbus' discovery of the New World).
The coat of arms combines the symbols of the kingdoms of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Navarre, and Grenada in order to reflect the five great medieval kingdoms that combined to form modern Spain.
Later the colour blue was used in two quite different flags—one of equal horizontal stripes of blue and yellow, the other a plain blue flag with a white star. The Spanish flag is no exception, and the flag provides an interesting glimpse into the past, when kings and queens ruled and kingdoms prevailed.
The coat of arms changed several times during his reign, and it eventually reached the modern form in 1978 as Spain transitioned to a democratic government.
The total length of land borders of Spain is 1 192 mi/ 1 918 km. The Spanish pledge to the flag is called the Jura de Bandera (meaning "oath of the flag"). And why those two colors? Author of
Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities. The use of other flags besides the mentioned ones was frequent, with various images or symbols.
For example, the lion symbol of
On 21 January 1977 a new flag was approved that differed from the previous one in that the eagle's wings opened further (the "pasmada" eagle), the The national flag of Spain finally received its present-day coat of arms on 19 December 1981. The Spanish coat of arms is wholly yellow stripes.
It combines elements that could be found in the individual banners of many different Spanish lords and kings to create a flag that represents the history of the entire nation and all of the regions within it. Even when not documented, the myths associated with these symbols are powerful forces for national pride.
Let's rewind to the reign of Charles III, towards to second half of the eighteenth century. Buy Spain Flags.
The flag can only be flown horizontally from public buildings, private homes, businesses, ships, town squares, or during official ceremonies. While the concept of a national flag did not exist in the Middle Ages, the symbol of Spain was the Royal Shield. The colours of the flag, as officially defined by the Spanish Royal Decree 441/1981 of 27 February,The basic design of the current flag of Spain with the coat of arms is specified by rule 3 of the Royal Decree 1511/1977, that states the following: The flag of Spain is easily recognizable and is even described in our constitution. Reglamento de Banderas y Estandartes, Guiones, Insignias y Distintivos
Those banners were used in a primarily military capacity with a large number of regional variations and represented several kingdoms, so a consistent design for a Spain flag did not emerge until after the medieval period. The first flag that represented a unified Spain came into use after the Spanish monarchs intermarried with the Habsburg family in the 16th century and gained control over a large part of Burgundy. Within Spain private citizens may display the flag without the coat of arms.
The models established on that decree were in force until 1977. The flag of Spain was adopted in 1978.
The two columns flank a shield that displays a castle, a lion wearing a crown, red and yellow vertical stripes, chain mail, and three fleurs-de-lis in an oval in the center. The modern flag of Spain is a combination of many different medieval banners.
History of the Flag of Spain. Real Decreto 1024/1984, de 23 de mayo, BOE del 30 May 1984. artículo 624 de las Reales Ordenanzas de la ArmadaReal Decreto 1511/1977, Título I, Regla 6. A flag is the identity and in some cases representative of a country’s vast history and culture.