Paraguay Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Facts
Paraguay’s red-white-blue tricolour is famous for one unusual feature: the front and reverse display different national emblems.
What does the Paraguay flag look like?
The flag has three equal horizontal bands: red, white and blue. The centre of the white stripe carries an emblem, but the emblem depends on which side of the flag you are viewing.
Why is the Paraguay flag different on both sides?
The front shows a yellow star surrounded by palm and olive branches with the words República del Paraguay. The reverse shows a lion, staff and Phrygian cap with the motto Paz y Justicia—“Peace and Justice.”
Compare the front and back emblems →
What do the Paraguay flag colors mean?
Red, white and blue have accumulated patriotic interpretations over time, often linked with courage, peace and liberty. Official identity is more securely tied to the tricolour itself and the two national seals than to a single legally fixed one-word meaning for each color.
How old is the design?
A red-white-blue tricolour was in use by 1812, shortly after independence. Paraguay’s Extraordinary Congress formally established the flag and its two emblems on November 25, 1842.
Read the full Paraguay flag history →
Paraguay flag facts
| Colors | Red, white and blue |
|---|---|
| Layout | Three equal horizontal bands |
| Front | National emblem |
| Reverse | Treasury seal |
| Two-sided design established | 1842 |
How can you tell the front from the back?
The easiest clue is the central emblem. The front has the yellow star surrounded by palm and olive branches. The reverse has the lion and the words Paz y Justicia. The stripe pattern never changes.
Why is Paraguay’s flag so unusual?
Most national flags use the same official emblem on both sides or simply appear mirrored when seen from behind. Paraguay deliberately specifies two different national seals, making it one of the most distinctive sovereign-state flags in use today.
Paraguay flag FAQ
What does Paz y Justicia mean?
“Peace and Justice.”
How many colors are on the main tricolour?
Three: red, white and blue.
When was the two-sided design established?
In 1842.
Does the reverse use the national coat of arms?
No. It uses the Treasury seal, which is different from the national emblem on the front.
