Governmental and Military Flags of Peru

Last modified: 2005-12-17 by antonio martins
Keywords: pavellón nacional para izar | bandera de guerra | estandarte | ensign | naval | governmental | army | flag | coat of arms: horn of plenty |
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• Governmental and naval flag
• “Flag of war”
• Standard

• Peruvian Presidential flag
• Senior Office Rank Flags of Peru
• Peruvian Navy
• Peruvian Army
• Peruvian Air Force
• Peru

• Peruvian Ministry of Defense website, with legal documents: http://www.mindef.gob.pe/simbolos1/banderas/banderas.htm
  Joe McMillan, 06 Oct 2003

• The Peruvian Ministry of External Relations explains the use of the four different national flags at www.rree.gob.pe/simbolos/bandera.htm
  Joe McMillan, 05 Nov 2002

Governmental and naval flag

The red-white-red triband with the escudo de armas was confirmed as the pabellón nacional by Decree No. 1323 of 31 March 1950.
Christopher Southworth, 05 Oct 2003

According to the Peruvian Ministry of External Relations (at www.rree.gob.pe/simbolos/bandera.htm), this is the pabellón nacional para izar (national ensign for hoisting). The national flag with the shield of arms on the center of the white stripe. The text of law 11323 of 31 March 1950 (quoted from this site, broken as of 22 Feb 2005, Ivan Sache), says specifically «the shield with its crest and two branches, one of palm on the right and the other laurel on the left, interlaced and embracing the shield.» Required to be flown every day on all offices and installations of the armed forces and national police, and on Sundays and holidays on other state buildings. Obviously "pabellón" ("ensign") is used in a way other than our normal sense of a flag of national identification at sea. (See also the other three national flags: bandera nacional para izar, bandera de guerra and estandarte.)
Joe McMillan, 05 Nov 2002

The Album 2000 [pay00] says:

National Flag. 2:3

Vertical trband of red-white-red with the coat of arms in the center of the white stripe.
Željko Heimer, 31 Oct 2002

From the pictures I’ve seen, both the Peruvian Army and Navy fly this flag, with the escudo de armas as the flag hoisted on flagpoles and ships, the same as civilian state agencies.
Joe McMillan, 31 Oct 2002

National Flag. 2:3

Željko Heimer, 04 Nov 2002

I always though that the army uses the flag with the other symbol (called national emblem, but the terminology is not the same in all sources) in the middle. This is said in [smi82] and [smi75c], Flaggenbuch [neu39] and so on. If that were true that the usage would be , and the flag with “emblem” would be .
Željko Heimer, 31 Oct 2002

According to the Decree of 1950, use of the pabellón nacional is restricted to Governmental and naval authorities, however, has this restriction been lifted, or is its use by civilians a technical illegality?
Christopher Southworth, 05 Oct 2003

Usually flags bear the coat-of-arms, being were the “state” flags, not the “civil” flag. Apparently the distinction is being lost throughout Latin America, as I see state flags for other countries being flown as well. (Well, yes, here in Miami US-FL there is a Peruvian restaurant that flies the civil flag.)
Al Kirsch, 11 Aug 2003

Version with small emblem in use

I took this photo in Peru in 2001 — I do not remember, which building it was, where this flag was on the top, but it was an official building.
Jan Patrick Fischer, 12 Nov 2003

I don’t know if that is the case, but I would expect that the manufacturer have the emblem printed in one size that is suitable for the most wanted flag dimensions, while for the larger flag he uses the same patch ignoring the fact that it is relatively smaller.
Željko Heimer, 12 Nov 2003

“Flag of war”

According to the Peruvian Ministry of External Relations (at www.rree.gob.pe/simbolos/bandera.htm), and to the Peruvian Ministry of Defense (at http://www.mindef.gob.pe/simbolos1/banderas/banderas.htm), this is the bandera de guerra (literally, flag of war). The national flag with the national shield ; pure silk, 0,93×1,40 m (or 0,70×1,06 m for cavalry units); dark cherrywood staff 2,10 m long (armored cavalry 2,72 m) with bronze spearhead and ferrule; inscribed below the shield with the arm of service, name, and number of the unit. Use obligatory in armed forces and national police units; decorated with orders and awards for combat service. (See also the other three national flags: bandera nacional para izar, pabellón nacional para izar and estandarte.)
Joe McMillan, 05 Nov 2002 and 06 Oct 2003

Note that 93:140 is approximately equal to 70:106, and both to 2:3, the usually reported ratio.
António Martins, 15 Jan 2004

The book El Mar de Grau y la Marina de Guerra del Peru [pcy87] shows photographs of banderas de guerra of the Peruvian Naval Academy. I believe the inscriptions read "Cuerpo de Cadetes" and "Marina de Guerra del Perú". There are also the medals attached to the upper hoist. Other flags pictured show different inscriptions but the same lettering style and placement.
Joe McMillan, 06 Nov 2002

When I queried the existence of such flags (some years ago) with the Peruvian Embassy in London, they denied that the design existed — experience has shown, however, that we as likely to be right as are embassy staff).
Christopher Southworth, 05 Oct 2003

The embassy is wrong. The escudo nacional is used on military colors, which I believe are called in Peru banderas de guerra.
Joe McMillan, 05 Oct 2003

Standard

According to the Peruvian Ministry of External Relations (at www.rree.gob.pe/simbolos/bandera.htm), and to the Peruvian Ministry of Defense (at http://www.mindef.gob.pe/simbolos1/banderas/banderas.htm), this is the estandarte (Standard). Same dimensions, fabric, etc., as the bandera de guerra (Decree-Law No. 11323 of 31 March 1950 and Supreme Decree of 23 June 1953) but with the escudo de armas rather than the escudo nacional on the center. Required in all official educational establishments and government offices except for those pertaining to the armed forces or national police. May be used by private organizations of civic, religious, fraternal, sporting, or similar character with express authorization of the armed forces high command. (See also the other three national flags: bandera nacional para izar, pabellón nacional para izar and bandera de guerra.)
Joe McMillan, 05 Nov 2002 and 06 Oct 2003

As I read it, «Same dimensions, fabric, etc., as the bandera de guerra» means the a flag just like the pabellón nacional para izar but in the exact size, fabric, staff, finial, etc., used for the bandera de guerra. I’ve seen nothing authoritative that says the name of the institution is placed on the estandarte.
Joe McMillan, 06 Nov 2002