Colorado State Flag

The current Colorado state flag is easily recognizable. The original flag design done by Andrew Carlisle Johnson was approved in 1911. The present form of the flag has been in use since March 31, 1964.

Appearance

The current Colorado state flag comprises of four colors, blue, white, red, and gold. The blue, white, and red colors have been adopted from the United States national flag. The yellow, along with white and blue, are adopted from the Columbine, which is the state flower of Colorado.

The flag of Colorado is made up of three stripes that are equally sized. The outer stripes are blue, same shade as that of the national flag. At the center is a white stripe. Embedded in the three stripes is a large semicircular letter "C", which is red. The shade of red of the "C" is the same as that of the national flag. In the opening of the letter "C" is a gold disc.

Colors and Symbols

The colors of the Colorado state flag are a representation of the environmental features of the state.

The white color represents the snowy peaks of her Rocky Mountains. White also represents silver, one of the precious metals that the state excels in its production.

Blue is a representation of the Colorado’s clear blue skies. The blues skies can be seen ever smiling over the Rocky Mountains. The white and blue also represents the colors of the state flower, the Columbine.

The gold color represents another precious metal, gold, that the state produces. The gold color also represents the abundant sunshine present in the state.

The interlacing of the gold and white color signifies the harmony and union of the people of the state.

The red color in the flag represents Colorado’s fertile red soil.

The letter "C" on the flag represents the name of state Colorado. Colorado is a word derived from the Spanish language meaning red. The "C" also stands for the centennial, which is a nickname given to the state in reference to the admission of the state into the Union in 1876. This year marked the one hundredth anniversary of American independence.The letter "C" is also a representation of the Columbine which is the state flower of Colorado.

History of the Colorado State Flag

The Colorado state flag was adopted on June 5, 1911. The precursors of the current flag utilized the same colors as the ones in the current flag. However, the C in the center of the flags was much smaller, and the shades of red and blue were different from those in the national flag. In1929, the General Assembly of the state of Colorado decided that the shades of red and blue in the flag of Colorado should be the same as those on the US national flag. Later on, in 1964, it was decided that the size of the gold circle should be equal in diameter as the white stripe as seen in the current Colorado state flag.