The flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shares the same colour scheme as the Colombian and Ecuadorian flags because the three nations were united for a short period of time after they achieved independence from Spain at the beginning of the 19th century. There have been slight changes to its original design, the most recent one being in 1954.

The colour yellow represents the richness of the land, the blue the seas that bathe the coasts and the red the blood shed by the national heroes of the Wars of Independence.

The seven stars represent the provinces that used to make up the American Confederation of Venezuela: Caracas, Cumaná, Barinas, Margarita, Barcelona, Mérida y Trujillo.

Francisco de Miranda, was a forerunner of the Independence of Venezuela, a military man, traveller, revolutionary and a national hero of the Independence era. He took part in the United States’ War of Emancipation, in which he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In 1782 he abandoned the Spanish army and started conspiring against the Spanish monarchy. He travelled through France, Holland, Germany, Australia, Hungary, Italy, Greek, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Norway, England and The United States of America. In 1806 he managed to disembark in La Vela de Coro where he hoisted, for the first time, the Venezuelan tricolour.

After the dissolution of La Gran Colombia, the Senate of the Republic proposed the design and colours that it displays today. This was approved on the 20th of April of 1836.

When the Coat of Arms is placed in the upper left hand corner it is called the "Pabellón Nacional"


The National Coat of Arms

In the upper left quarter there is a bunch of ripe grain, each grain representing the states that make up Venezuela.

In the upper right quarter are represented the arms bound up by the National Pavillion and in the quarter below there is a horse rampant, representing freedom.

The coat of arms is crowned by two crossed cornucopias, symbols of abundance, and surrounded by a branch of laurel and another of palm tied up in ribbons and with the national colours and inscriptions.

19th of April of 1810

20th of February of 1859 – Federation and Republic of Venezuela..

The National Anthem

¡Gloria al Bravo Pueblo!

(Chorus)

¡ Gloria al bravo pueblo !
que el yugo lanzó
la Ley respetando
la virtud y honor.

I

¡ Abajo cadenas ! (bis)
gritaba el señor (bis)
y el pobre en su choza
Libertad pidió:
A este santo nombre
tembló de pavor
el vil egoísmo
que otra vez triunfó.
(Chorus)

II

¡ Gritemos con brío: ! (bis)
¡ Muera la opresión ! (bis)
Compatriotas fieles,
la fuerza es la unión;
y desde el Empíreo
el Supremo Autor,
un sublime aliento
al pueblo infundió.
(Chorus)

III

Unida con lazos (bis)
que el cielo formó, (bis)
la América toda
existe en nación;
y si el despotismo
levanta la voz,
seguid el ejemplo
que Caracas dió.
(Chorus)

Letra: José Vicente Salias
Música: Juan José Landaeta.

The National Symbols


National Flower (Cattleya) Orchid:

There are a great many species of orchid in Venezuela, and they are all so gorgeous, that it is very difficult to say which is the most beautiful. They can be found in every geographical area of the country in their many different varieties, since they grow as easily in the hot areas as in the rainy or colder regions near the highlands.


National Tree (Tabebui Chrysanta) Araguaney:

Indigenous to the country, its height varies between 6 and 12 metres. Its trunk is characterized for being straight, cylindrical, averaging 60 centimetres in diameter with a bifurcated branch structure and extended crown. During the months of February and May it imparts a coloured aura of extraordinary beauty in every place.


El Turpial (National Bird):

This bird belongs to the icteridae family and is characterized by its varied and melodious singing. Among its most outstanding characteristics are its length, which varies between 17 and 54 centimetres, its plumage, which is black with patches of yellow, and its sharp, compressed , cone-shaped beak.

Alma Llanera (National Music):

Yo nací en una rivera
del Arauca vibrador
soy hermano de la espuma
de las garzas, de las rosas
y del sol.

Me arrulló la vida diana
y la brisa del palmar
y por eso tengo el alma
como el alma primorosa
del cristal.

Amo, canto, rio y sueño
con claveles de pasión
Amo, canto, río y sueño
y le canto a Venezuela
con alma de probador

Yo nací en una rivera
del Arauca vibrador
soy hermano de la espuma
de las garzas, de las rosas
y del sol.

Letra: Rafael Bolívar Coronado.
Música: Pedro Elías Gutiérrez

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