The Wiphala flag is one that differs from the most common ones, by having a square shape instead of rectangular, but that is not what stands out about it, but what it has and their arrangement.
It must be taken into account that the origins of this flag date back at least to pre-Columbian times, and although it has evolved to what is known today, it was only in 2009 when it was recognized in Bolivia as a official symbol of Andean culture.
Wiphai (Triumph) + Laphaqi (Wind Flow) = the triumph that ripples in the wind
Characteristics of the Whipala flag
The wiphala flag or also designated by other names such as whipala, wipala or wiphayla, has 7 colors that are white, yellow, orange, red, violet, blue and green, distributed in 49 squares with 7 rows and 7 columns.
The colors have an arrangement as we see that begins in the center with white diagonally, and continues descending and ascending from left to right with the rest.
It should be noted that its shape is square to express equality, justice, freedom, harmony, solidarity, balance and cooperation.
Wiphala Color Meanings
The colors originate in the ray of sunlight, which when decomposed naturally form the colors that we see in the rainbow, each of these are associated with a concept by which their culture is governed:
- White: It alludes to time and dialectic, expressing with this the development in different areas such as science, technology, art, both manual and intellectual work and the foundation of the community structure.
- Yellow: It represents strength and energy, two aspects that go hand in hand, expressing moral principles of its people, being at the same time the laws and norms that are practiced.
- Orange: It is the color of society and culture, which is equal to the preservation and procreation of its people, which goes hand in hand with training, education, medicine, and health.
- Red: is synonymous with our planet, highlighting the importance that intellectual development, thought and knowledge has for it and its inhabitants.
- Violet: symbol of what Andean politics and ideology is, which is in turn the community power of its people, the power structure and the political, social, cultural and economic organization.
- Blue: For its part, it is cosmic space, which refers to the planet’s stars and how they influence it through astronomy, physics, natural phenomena, gravity, among others.
- Green: It is equal to Andean economy and production, on the one hand, it includes its soils, natural matter, flora and fauna, on the other, agricultural production, hydrological and mineralogical deposits.
In short, the wiphala colors mean
When looking for the meaning of the wiphala colors, many tend to confuse them with that of the , since it is also based on the rainbow, but they are not related. Below we show you in summary what each of the wiphala colors represents:
WhiteTime and dialecticYellowStrength and energyOrangeSociety and cultureRedOur planetVioletAndean politics and ideologyBluecosmic spaceGreenEconomy and production