Flag of the Dominican Republic: meaning of colors and history

What is its meaning and what does its colors represent?

The flag of the Dominican Republic is a national symbol that represents this country internationally. This flag is characterized by having a white cross that extends to the ends and divides it into four rectangles, two red and two blue.

The Dominican Republic is a country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and occupies two-thirds of the territory of said island, which was formerly under the rule of the Spanish.

In 1844 the Dominican Republic achieved its independence, and Juan Pablo Duarte was in charge of designing the first flag that represented the country.

Duarte was based on the flag of Haiti but, on it he drew a white cross, leaving two equal parts of blue at the top and two equal parts of red at the bottom. This new flag was raised for the first time on February 27, 1844.

However, it was later modified to the flag that currently represents the Dominican Republic, which according to articles 31 and 32 of the Constitution of said country.

The current flag was made by the ladies Concepción Bona, Isabel Sosa, María de Jesús Piña and María Trinidad Sánchez, who selected the color ultramarine blue and vermilion red to place alternately in the squares of the flag.

Thus, the design was as follows: in the middle of the flag there is a white cross that reaches to its ends. At the top of the side of the shaft there is a blue box, and next to it a red box.

At the bottom, next to the flagpole, there is a red box and next to it, towards the outside, a blue box. In the middle of the white cross, and center of the flag, is the National Shield, which is characterized by having an open Bible.

Meaning of the colors of the flag

The flag of the Dominican Republic contains three colors and each one has a particular meaning.

Vermilion red: It represents the blood shed by patriots in the battles to achieve the country’s independence.

Ultramarine blue: It symbolizes the sky that covers the homeland and from which God protects and cares for the nation and the ideals of the Dominicans.

White: It represents peace and union among the Dominican people.

Flag Day

In the Dominican Republic, Flag Day is celebrated every February 27, as stipulated in Official Gazette No. 8707, published in 1962, since it coincides with the Independence Day of said country.