| Brazilian Flag |
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 The Brazilian flag consists of a green field with a large, yellow rhombus at its center. Within the rhombus is a blue circle containing 27 white stars that form various constellations. A white band can also be seen atop the circle; it reads Ordem e Progresso, which means “Order and Progress” in Portuguese. The Brazilian flag may also be called the Auriverde, meaning “of gold and green.” The first version of the Brazilian flag was officially adopted on November 19, 1889. It was designed by Raimundo Teixeira Mendes, Miguel Lemos, and Manuel Pereira Reis. The only difference between the flag of 1889 and the modern-day version, which was adopted on May 12, 1992, is the addition of the 27 white stars. The green background of the Brazilian flag represents the country’s vast rainforests. As for the yellow rhombus, it stands for the mineral wealth of Brazil, and the blue circle depicts the sky of Rio de Janeiro on November 15, 1889, the day the Republic of Brazil was declared. The stars also represent the 27 Brazilian states. The phrase Ordem e Progresso that appears on the Brazilian flag was inspired by Auguste Comte’s motto of positivism: L’amour pour principe et l’ordre pour base; le progrès pour but ("Love as a principle and order as the basis; progress as the goal"). It was added to the flag because some of the founders of the Republic were followers of Comte’s thought. Over the years, the Brazilian flag has become more and more popular because of the success of Brazil’s national football (soccer) team. Brazil has won a total of five World Cups, making people around the world fans of the team. Many people that don’t enjoy flying Brazilian flags usually get Brazilian patches and pins to wear on their clothes instead. Pins, patches, and even decals are a great way for just about anybody to throw their support behind Brazil, whether they live South America or Southeat Asia! |