Vessels sailing under the Chile country flag are required to have on board this flag as part of flag state requirements that derive from maritime regulations in the International Code of Signals and the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. These codes are published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as an ongoing effort to reinforce maritime safety procedures and communications to the international maritime community. Fleet management companies and ship owners are responsible to ensure that each vessel in their respective fleets have the appropriate flag signage onboard to be in compliance. This flag is used to identify the flag state a vessel is sailing under and to communicate with other vessels under the provisions of the International Code of Signals.
The national flag of Chile, adopted in 1817, is one of the oldest existing flags. It is called “La Estrella Solitaria,” in Spanish, which translates in English to “The Lone Star.” The flag of Chile is loosely modeled after the United States Flag, being a flag of red, white and blue and having both stars and stripes. The flag of Chile, however, features a single, white 5-point lone star, located in the center of canton area, against a blue background. The blue color is representative of the Pacific Ocean and the blue skies over Chile. The star represents honor and pride of the Chilean people as well as Chile’s independence. The flag features two unequal horizontal bands or wide stripes. A white band at the top next to the canton area, symbolizes the white, snow-covered Andes mountain range. The red band at the bottom stretches horizontally across the width of the flag of Chile. The red stripe is representative of the blood shed by the many Chileans who struggled and fought throughout Chile’s long fight to achieve independence.