Last modified: 2005-04-16 by dov gutterman
Keywords: santander | colombia |
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by Carlos Thompson, 8 May 2003
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Municipalities:
Flag description and symbolics at <comunidades.calle22.com>. It says in Spanish:"Está conformada por una barra vertical de color rojo, sobre la cual se sitúan 5 estrellas blancas, dos bandas verdes en los extremos, con las que limitan respectivamente otras dos bandas amarillas separadas por otra banda negra.
La banda roja simboliza la nobleza y el heroísmo de la raza santandereana. Las 5 estrellas representan las cinco provincias del departamento. El color verde simboliza la lealtad, la firmeza y la esperanza, mientras que el amarillo y el negro hacen referencia a las riquezas auríferas y petroleras del departamento"
The stars are "upside-down"..
J.J. Andersson, 29 March 2002
The new flag of Santander has 6 stars. The flag was adopted at the end of 2001. Six stars represent new six provinces of Santander: Comunea, Garcia Rovira, Guanetá, Mares, Soto and Vélez.
The five stars of the Previous Flag symbolized five historic provinces of Santander: Garcia Rovira, San Gil, El Socorro, Soto and Vélez.
Jens Pattke, 9 May 2003
The site <www.gobernaciondesantander.gov.co>, from the Governorship of the Department, agrees with the six stars for six provinces.
Carlos Thompson, 9 May 2003
by Carlos Thompson, 8 May 2003
The stars represent the five historical provinces of the department: García Rovira, San Gil, Socorro, Soto and Vélez, they no longer exist as political entities, but for reference.
Carlos A. Leiva, 12 August 2000
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by Carlos Thompson, 3 September 2004
Previously Reported Old Coat of Arms
san.jpg)
by Luis Carrillo, 7 July 2002
The reported coat of arms of Santander, Colombia is just the arms used by the State of Santander in the United States of Colombia (1863-1886), which basically are the coat of arms of Colombia with the name of the state in the border. I have no clue if this coat of arms has been used in Santander (for representing the department in the Republic of Colombia (1886-present)), however I found the following articles in the website of Santander governorship: <www.gobernaciondesantander.gov.co/article&sid=422 (from 27 August 2004) (title translation: Santander will now have a coat of arms) and <www.gobernaciondesantander.gov.co/sid=425> (from 31 August 2004) (title translation: today is issued the coar of arms of Santander) regarding a contest for choosing a coat of arms for the department. The articles do not show the new coat of arms, neither is there a description (blazon or not).
Carlos Thompson, 1 September 2004
Found: at <www.vanguardia.com> (Vanguardia Liberal is a newspaper from Bucaramanga, Santander). The author of the coat of arms is Yair Leonardo Pinzón Enciso and the date of adoption is 31 August, 2004. The motto "siempre adelante" means "always ahead" and is taken from the departament anthem. I suppose the leaves are tobacco leaves, in the chief sinester there is an oil tower, and the six stars and the colors of the shields are taken from the colors (and meanings) of the flag. I speculate that the river is the Chicamocha river between the Santander mountains.
Carlos Thompson, 3 September 2004
About in 2000 a regional reform of the administration was executed. Some departements introduced the second administrative level. These levels are "zone" or "province." A province contains several municipalities.
Jens Pattke, 9 May 2003
I wonder if the Santander provinces have flags. I doubt Cundinamarca's have, for instance, as it seems that nobody yet agree with the Cundinamarca provinces yet, but Santander seem to have more institutionalized provinces.
Anyhow, last time I was in Bucaramanga (Santander Capital) I remember I usually saw two flags flying together. One was Santander and the other was Bucaramanga. I do not remember how this later flag was, but I do not recognize the flag in Bucaramanga page as well in <www.bucaramanga.com>.
Well, you never know, there is a Municipality of Bucaramanga (municipio) and a Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga (área metropolitana). Or that second flag might have been the province of Soto (where Bucaramanga is).
Tthe provinces are:
- Provincia Comunera (fromerly Socorro) - municipalities: Socorro*, Simacota, Chima, Contratación, Guacamayo, Palmas del Socorro, Confines, Oiba, Guadalupe, Santa Helena, Gámbita, Suaita, Hato, Palmar, Galán, and Guapotá.
- Provincia de García Rovira - municipalities: Málaga*, San Andrés, Guaca, Molagavita, San José de Miranda, Enciso, Carcasí, Capitanejo, Macaravita, San Miguel, Concepción, and Cerrito.
- Provincia de Guanentá (formerly San Gil) - muicipalities: San Gil*, Aratoca, Barichara, Valle de San José, Encino, Coromoro, Cabrera, Páramo, Villanueva, Jordán, Pinchote, Curití, Charalá, Mogotes, San Joaquín, Onzaga, Ocamonte, and Cepitá.
- Provincia de Mares (formerly part of Soto) - municipalities: Barrancabermeja*, San Vicente, El Carmen, Zapatoca, Betulia, Puerto Wilches, and Sabana de Torres.
- Provincia de Soto - municipalities: Bucaramanga*, Floridablanca, Girón, Piedecuesta, Lebrija, Rionegro, el Playón, Matanza, Suratá, California, Vetas, Tona, Los Santos, Charta, and Santa Bárbara.
- Provincia de Vélez - municipalities: Vélez*, Aguada, Albania, Barbosa, La Belleza, Florián, Puerto Parra, Bolívar, El Peñón, Sucre, La Paz, Puente Nacional, San Benito, Güepsa, Jesús María, Chipatá, Guavatá, Cimitarra, and Landázuri.
(*: provincial capital).
Carlos Thompson, 9 May 2003