Adopted in 1971. The flag of Nicaragua has three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band. The coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom. The banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America. The blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water. (ref: CIA World Factbook)