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Panama - Flag Law

Last modified: 2020-04-18 by rob raeside
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image by Ivan Sache, 3 June 2019
 

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Flag Law

The current national flag was confirmed by Law 48 of 1925, and ratified by law 28 of 28 March 1941. The blue and red is for the Conservative Party and Liberal Party; the white is for peace; the blue star is the purity and honesty of the life of the country; the red star is for authority and law in the country.
Jaume Ollé, 4 September 1996

The national symbols of Panamá are prescribed by the Single Text of Law No. 34 of 1949 "Adopting the flag, the anthem and the coat of arms as national symbols and regulating their use", which includes the amendments prescribed by Law No. 2 of 2012, and was published on 27 February 2012 in the Panamá official gazette, No. 26,981-A.

Article 1. [unchanged]
The coat of arms, the flag and the anthem, as described in this Law, are adopted as the national symbols.
[…]

Article 4. [added]
The national flag, designed by Manuel E. Amador T., consists of a rectangle quartered as follows: the upper first quarter, at hoist, white with a blue five-pointed star in the center, pointing upwards; the second upper quarter, continuing the previously described one, red; the lower first quarter, at hoist, blue; and the lower second quarter, continuing the previously described one, white with a red five-pointed star in the center, pointing upwards.

Article 5. [unchanged]
The national flag has a rectangular shape with a proportion of one unit in width on one and a half unit in length, and the size shall be in accordance with the flag’s use or aim. The stars shall be one quarter of the flag’s width or one sixth of its length. In exceptional cases, duly recognized by the Manual, the flag’s representation shall have shapes different from those prescribed in the previous paragraphs, for example for the flag designed for naval use or according to international agreements signed by the Republic of Panamá, and shall be manufactured in a proportional manner.

Article 6. [added]
The colors and elements of the national flag have the following meaning: blue represents the Conservative Party, red represents the Liberal Party, and white represents the field of peace of the new nation. The blue star symbolizes purity and honesty as the norms of the nation’s civic life and the red star represents authority and law imposed by these virtues.

Article 7. [added]
A flag with the specifications established in Article 5, made of silk, shall be kept in the presidency of each State body, in the Panamá History Museum, and in the head offices of the Ministry of Education and of the Ministry of Government, as references for color reproductions.

Article 11. [unchanged]
The national coat of arms, imagined by Nicanor Villalaz L. and artistically interpreted by Max Lemm, is heraldically described as follows:
In Gothic shape, tierced in fess, in proportions three in width on 2 in length, field beret (green); a symbol of vegetation, and a bordure or (yellow). The central fess features the isthmus with its seas and sky on which appears: the sun starting to rise above the mountains in the west, the moon starting to rise above nightly waves, in the east, to represent the solemn hour of the Separations of Panamá from Colombia on 3 November 1903.
The chief or upper part is divided into two quarters: dexter, a field argent (white) charged with a saber and a rifle crossed in a position of disbanding, meaning the definitive end of civil wars; and sinister, a field gules (red) charged with a crossed shovel and hoe, symbolizing work.The shield’s base or lower part is divided into two quarters: dexter, a field azure (blue) charged with a cornucopia or pouring coins, a symbol of wealth; and sinister, a field argent charged with a wooden wheel with wings or, a symbol of progress.
The shield surmounted by an adult harpy eagle, national emblem of sovereignty, with spread wings, the head turned to left, as a symbol of autonomy, and holding in its claws a scroll argent engraved in letters sable (black) the motto "PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO", which means "For the World’s Benefit".
Above the eagle, golden stars pointing upwards and forming an arch, match the country’s number of provinces.
The shield supported, dexter and sinister, by two national flag hoisted on lances and tied red and white at the shield’s base.
https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/26981_A/37116.pdf

Law No. 34, promulgated on 15 December 1949 by the President of the Republic, was published on 4 January 1950 in the Panamá official gazette, No. 11,085
https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/gacetas/11085_1950.pdf

Law No. 2 "Amending Law No. 34 of 1949 that adopts the flag, the anthem and the coat of arms as national symbols and regulate their use", promulgated on 23 January 2012 by the President of the Republic, was published on 26 January 2012 in the Panamá official gazette, No. 26,959.
https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/26959/36588.pdf]

Chapter VIII of the aforementioned Law prescribes the set-up of a National Commission of the Nation’s Symbols, which has among his duties (Article 44.2):
To elaborate and submit to the Executive the Manuel on Procedure, Design and Use of the Nation’s Symbols, which should be approved by an Executive Decree. Article 45 states that the Manual shall be amended when necessary.

The last edition of the Manuel on Procedure, Design and Use of the Symbols of the Nation is prescribed by Executive Decree No. 337, promulgated on 22 December 2017 and published on 26 December 2017 in the Panamá official gazette, No. 28432-A.

The colors of the flag are specified in Article X, Paragraph 5a and in Chapter I of the Appendix.
Blue
RGB 7 35 87
Hex #072357
Pantone 295C / 296U
CMYK 100 46 0 70

Red
RGB 218 18 26
Hex #DA121A
Pantone 187C / 186U
CMYK 0 100 79 20

The colors of the coat of arms are prescribed in Article X, Paragraph 8b.
Black / sable Process Black
Green / vert 343C / 3425U
Brown 1605C / 1675U
Yellow 114C / 107U

https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/28432_A/65219.pdf

Ivan Sache, 3 June 2019