Brazil’s iconic national flag has served as the symbol of Brazil since November 19, 1889, and is filled with meaning.
This green flag with a yellow rhombus uses colors that represent, respectively, the House of Braganza of Pedro I, who was the first Emperor of Brazil, and the House of Habsburg for his wife, Empress Maria Leopoldina. The flag is known as the Verde e amarela – “the yellow and green one.”
In the center of the flag is the blue nighttime sky filled with stars representing the 27 states of Brazil. (At the time of its creation, there were only 21 stars.)
The white line crossing the sky is the Southern Cross, the brightest constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. Inscribed on the cross is Brazil’s motto, "Order and Progress" – Ordem e Progresso.