Country profile: Chile

Chile's first flag, blue, white and yellow, was created in 1812 by José Miguel Carrera, during the period known as the ‘Old Homeland’ (Patria Vieja). It disappeared after the Spanish reconquest of 1814.

The current flag, known as ‘the Lone Star’ (la Estrella Solitaria), was adopted on 18 October 1817, under the government of Bernardo O'Higgins. Its design is generally attributed to the minister José Ignacio Zenteno.

It was under this flag that Chile's independence was proclaimed on 12 February 1818, and that the Battle of Maipú, which sealed the end of Spanish rule, was won on 5 April 1818.

The traditional interpretation of the colours refers to Chile's landscapes and the struggle for independence:

• Blue: the sky and the Pacific Ocean.
• White: the snows of the Andes.
• Red: the blood shed by the heroes of independence.
• White star: a guide towards progress and honour; it also symbolises the unity of the Chilean state.

The flag on which the oath of independence was sworn in 1818 is kept at the National History Museum in Santiago. It was stolen on 30 March 1980 by members of the MIR, who opposed the military dictatorship, and returned to the museum in 2003.

The Chilean flag is sometimes confused with that of Texas, which uses the same colours and a white star, but with a vertical blue band at the hoist.

According to a frequently cited theory, the flag's star was inspired by the eight-pointed star (wünelfe) on Mapuche flags, a people whose long resistance to the conquistadors was admired by Chilean patriots.