North America · Five horizontal bands
How to draw the flag of Costa Rica
The flag of Costa Rica is five horizontal bands — blue, white and red from top to bottom, with coat of arms. It flies at a ratio of 3:5.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Costa Rica flies at 3:5 — for every 5 units of width the flag is 3 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Divide the height into five. Mark four guide lines before you fill anything in. Even bands matter more than neat edges — the scorer cares where the colour blocks sit.
- Band 1: blue. Fill the first band from the top with blue. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 2: white. Fill the second band from the top with white. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 3: red. Fill the third band from the top with red. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Finish with the coat of arms. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Costa Rica flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | #002B7F | rgb(0, 43, 127) |
| White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
| Red | #CE1126 | rgb(206, 17, 38) |
Common mistakes
- Watch out for Thailand and North Korea — they are close enough to Costa Rica that people draw the wrong one from memory.
- Colour order is where most people slip. Fix which colour touches the top — that one anchor keeps the rest in place.
- The proportions are unusual: 3:5 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
A trick for remembering it
Lock in the order — blue, white then red — from the top down. Say it out loud once and you will still have it tomorrow.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Costa Rica flag
What colours are on the flag of Costa Rica?
Costa Rica uses 3 colours: blue (#002B7F), white (#FFFFFF), red (#CE1126).
What order are the stripes on the Costa Rica flag?
Blue, then White, then Red — from the top down.
What are the proportions of the Costa Rica flag?
It flies at 3:5 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
Which flags look like the Costa Rica flag?
Thailand, North Korea. The proportions are unusual: 3:5 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
How hard is the Costa Rica flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 3 out of 5. The colours are simple; the arrangement is what catches people out.
