The Brazilian flag features a green field with a yellow rhombus and a blue celestial globe. The current design with 27 stars was finalised on 11 May 1992 when the latest state was added.
The design
The Flag of Brazil is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 7:10, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses Green, Yellow, Blue, White, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Yellow | Yellow | Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit. |
| Blue | Blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| White | White | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
Symbolism & heraldry
Green represents the forests; yellow the gold; the blue celestial sphere shows the night sky over Rio de Janeiro on 15 November 1889 with 27 stars for each state.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Brazil — 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 1992. Earlier banners flown by Brazil 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 Brazil 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 | Brazil | — |
| Continent | South America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | BR | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | BRA | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1992 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 7:10 | height : length |
| Colours | Green, Yellow, Blue, White | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | 🇧🇷 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The motto 'Ordem e Progresso' (Order and Progress) was inspired by Auguste Comte's positivist philosophy.
