The flag of the Organization of American States is the banner of the continental body that links nearly every state in the Americas. Adopted in 1965, the flag bears the OAS emblem on a white field.
The design
The Flag of the Organization of American States is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses white, blue, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A white field bearing the OAS emblem at centre — a circle of small national flagpoles representing each member state, surrounding a stylised image of the western hemisphere. The flagpoles symbolise the equal sovereignty of all member states; the central image is the geographic basis of the organisation's scope.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of the Organization of American States — 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 1965. It is credited to OAS General Secretariat. Earlier banners flown by 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 the Organization of American States 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 | — | |
| Continent | Americas | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1965 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | white, blue, gold | — |
| Designer | OAS General Secretariat | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Cuba's membership has been suspended since 1962 — the suspension was lifted by resolution in 2009 but the country has never resumed active participation, making it the lone American state without a current seat.
About the organisation
OAS was founded in 1948. Its headquarters are in usa-state/washington/" data-it-autolink="1">Washington, D.C., United States.
Member states
OAS has 34 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
