The current Costa Rican flag was designed by Pacifica Fernández, a Costa Rican schoolteacher, and adopted on September 29, 1848. The flag is composed of five horizontal stripes of equal width in the colors blue, white, red, white and blue. The blue stripes represent the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, the white stripes represent peace and happiness, and the red stripe represents the blood shed by the brave Costa Rican people who fought for their independence.

The Costa Rican flag was the result of a competition that was held in 1848 to decide on a design for the official flag of the country. The competition was sponsored by the then president, Juan Rafael Mora Porras, in an effort to create a symbol of national unity and identity. The winner of the competition was Pacifica Fernández, a schoolteacher from Cartago.

Pacifica Fernández's flag design was based on the flag of the French Revolution and was influenced by the colors of the French tricolor. The flag has five horizontal stripes of equal width, two of which are blue and two of which are white. The red stripe in the center is slightly wider than the other stripes. The blue stripes are also divided into two, the top one being darker than the bottom one. This was done to symbolize the sky and the sea.

The flag was adopted on September 29, 1848, and has been used ever since. It is considered to be a symbol of Costa Rican identity and pride and is flown with great respect and reverence by Costa Ricans. The flag has also gone through some minor changes over the years, with the most significant change being the addition of the coat of arms to the center of the flag in 1906.

The Costa Rican flag is an important symbol of Costa Rican identity and patriotism. It is a reminder of the country's proud history and of the struggles and sacrifices of its people. The flag has also become a symbol of unity and national pride, and it is flown with great respect and reverence.