The Argentine flag features sky-blue and white horizontal bands with a golden Sun of May at the centre. It was created by Manuel Belgrano in 1812.
The design
The Flag of Argentina is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 9:14, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses Light Blue, White, Yellow, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Light Blue | Light Blue | A nationally significant colour for this flag — see the symbolism section below for the country-specific meaning. |
| White | White | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Yellow | Yellow | Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The Sun of May represents the Inca sun god Inti and recalls the May Revolution of 1810 that began Argentine independence.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Argentina — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1818. It is credited to Manuel Belgrano. Earlier banners flown by Argentina reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Argentina should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Argentina | — |
| Continent | South America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | AR | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | ARG | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1818 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 9:14 | height : length |
| Colours | Light Blue, White, Yellow | — |
| Designer | Manuel Belgrano | — |
| Emoji | 🇦🇷 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The light-blue and white colours are said to have been inspired by the sky over Rosario where Belgrano first raised the flag in 1812.
