Much of South America’s flag history traces back to one country that no longer exists: Gran Colombia, the short-lived republic that briefly united Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama in the 1820s. Its yellow, blue, and red tricolor lives on today, in different proportions and arrangements, in the flags of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Elsewhere on the continent, flags lean on Andean sun symbols, Southern Cross constellations, and colors tied to independence-era liberation movements led by figures like Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín.
Below, every country’s flag on the continent, linked through to the full story behind each one.
Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Uruguay · Venezuela