Last modified: 2004-01-24 by joe mcmillan
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![[Flag of Acre (Brazil)]](../images/b/br-ac.gif)
7:10 by Joseph McMillan
Officially adopted 15 March 1921, confirmed 1 March 1963
The Acre flag is split diagonally from the upper fly to the lower hoist. The upper part
is yellow and the lower part green. In the yellow, near the hoist, is located the
"lone star" (estrela solitária) that symbolizes the light that guided those who
supported the incorporation of the Acre territory into Brazil. Yellow symbolizes peace
and green hope, according to José Plácido de Castro, who adapted the ancient design of
the revolutionary era to the proposal of Colonel Rodrigo de Carvalho, leader of an earlier
revolution in the area. The basic design had been adopted by Don Luís Galvez
Rodriguez de Arias. The flag was officially adopted by Governor Epaminondas Jacome.
Jaume Ollé, 28 June 1996
Acre was constituted as a federal territory of Brazil on 25 February 1904. The
territorial governor adopted a revised form of the Galvez-Castro flag as the
territorial flag on 15 March 1921, with the direction of the diagonal dividing
line and the position of the yellow and green triangles reversed, as at present.
It is not clear whether this change was made for the first time in 1921 or if it
had already occurred de facto before then. The territory of Acre became a state on 15
June 1962 under federal law no. 4070.
Its Constitution, adopted 1 March 1963, states (Title II, Chapter I, Article 8)
that "The symbols of the state shall be the flag, hymn, and arms that were adopted
by the Independent State of Acre."
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002
A new coat of arms was adopted by resolution of 24 May 1922 by Governor Jacome
and General Secretary Francisco de Oliveira Conde.
Jaume Ollé, 22 July 2003
About 1978 I asked for information about the Acre flag. Profesor Arthur Luponi sent me
a printed construction sheet of the flag showing the ratio as 7:10. [The image above is based on
this construction sheet - ed.] Based on that, I believe that
the proportion of the first flag was 11:20 but when adopted as the territorial (and later state)
flag, it was in the proportions 7:10 like the national brazilian flag. Yes,
Whitney Smith gives 11:20 as the proportions, but he must be confusing the current flag with that
of the first decree.
Jaume Ollé, 25 August 2002
The decree of 15 March 1921 signed by Governor Epaminondas Jacome adopting the
territorial flag is transcribed in Luponi's article in the Flag Bulletin
giving the proportions 11:20, but was changed later.
Jaume Ollé, 22 July 2003
At the on-line edition of Jornal A Tribuna
is a story from August 2002 to the effect that the Acre state government is building a 60 meter (197 ft)
flagpole in connection with the centennial of Acre's definitive joining of Brazil. The pole will fly a
12 x 17 meter (39 x 56 ft) flag. This news story supports a 7:10 ratio for the Acre state flag, since
12:17 is, for all practical purposes, 7:10.
Joseph McMillan, 8 October 2002
11:20
by Joseph McMillan
The flag of Acre originates from that created by decree no. 17 of 1889, issued by Luiz Galvez
Rodrigues de Arias, leader of the 1899-1900 expedition seeking to seize control of
what is now Acre from Bolivia. According to Klein, this flag was a diagonal
bicolor in the Brazilian national colors, divided from upper hoist to lower fly,
green over yellow. That this flag did not have a star on it seems a reasonable
conclusion from the fact that the presence of the star is attributed to Acrean
leaders who were not involved in this first revolt (see below).
Joseph McMillan, 15 August 2002
I have just come across a reference to the original flag of Acre when the territory was disputed between Bolivia and Brazil at the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth centuries. The reference is not in a flag book, but in Lizzie: A Victorian Lady's Amazon Adventure, published in 1985 by the BBC. It concerns the story of a young woman from London whose husband was a manager for a rubber company operating in the area. The relevant passage (p.128) says:
"Luis Galvez Rodriguez, a Spanish colonist, born leader and inept politician, proclaimed independence unilaterally--the slogan "Acre for the Acreanos" was chanted the length and breadth of the river, and on 14 July 1899 Luis Galvez named himself President of the fledgeling republic of Acre. With a band of rubber tappers Galvez took possession of the aggravating [Bolivian] Customs post and raised the revolutionary flag, a yellow and green diagonal bearing a red star, embellished with the traditional cap of liberty, a shield, a laurel wreath and the date, '14 de Julho 1899'."The story of the Acre flag above gives this historical context, but makes no mention of the embellishments referred to above, and says that this original flag had no red star. Lizzie doesn't give sources--it isn't an academic work--but its general tone and style give the impression that it is reliable and competent. Can anyone comment on the flag design it mentions?
Arthur Luponi ("The Flags of the States of Brazil: Acre," Flag Bulletin IX:28-35 (Winter
1970) says that the first Acre flag was adopted 15 July 1899. There's a drawing of
Galvez in his office where the flag can be seen clearly with the star (to his left)
and without the star (to his right), and the arms, which have a Phrygian cap
and two laurel wreaths above a oval on the upper part of which Patria is written
in a semicircle, on the lower part liberadade, also in a semicircle,
and the letter "e" ("and") in the center: Patria e liberdade, meaning
Fatherland and freedom. The illustration came from Diario de Notícias,
Manaus, 23 December 1899.
Jaume Ollé, 22 July 2003