REPUBLIC OF PERU
CURRENT NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS
The current national flag of Peru was adopted in 1825. Red and white were the colors of the Peruvian Legion raised by General José de San Martin to liberate the country from Spanish rule; legend has it that he selected these colors in imitation of the flamingo, a bird native to Peru. An earlier version of the flag had a red sun on the white stripe; this was replaced in 1825 by the national coat of arms. There are currently three version of the Peruvian national flag: the state flag/naval ensign as depicted below, the war flag with a different version of the arms, and the civil flag and ensign with no arms on the white stripe.
In common with a number of other countries, Peru's naval jack is square with the national coat of arms in the center. The current naval rank flags and command pennants date from 1995; previous designs had vertical red-white-red stripes instead of a white field with red frame. Though the Sun of May, symbolizing Latin American independence, does not figure in Peru's coat of arms, it is used as a device for military and civil rank and appointment flags.
Flag Proportions: Except for the jack and commission pennant, Peruvian naval flags are made in 2:3 proportions.
Image Added January 2022
Minister of Defense
