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Santa Elena Province (Ecuador)

Overview
The Flag
Coat of Arms

See also:

Cantons:

Overview

There should be soon a new province in Ecuador, following the secession of the peninsula of Santa Elena (Cantons of Libertad, Salinas and Santa Elena) from the Province of Guayas to form the Province of Santa Elena.
Verónica Villaruel reports, in "Ciudadania Informada", 15 October 2007, that 6,000 demonstrators gathered in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, to ask the National Congress to approve the "provincialization" of Santa Elena. The report shows a colour photography of the demonstrators, waving horizontally divided green-yellow flags with writings added. A flag has a big number written in black over the two stripes, but only its first digit, a "2", can be seen. The article (as well as other sources) says Santa Elena would be the 24th province; however, a flag, seen in the background of the photography, clearly features a "23" inscribed in a circle. The template of these flags is most probably the cantonal flag of Santa Elena
"El Universo", 22 October 2007, explains that the provinces are numbered from 01 to 22. The Province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas was given #23 and Santa Elena would be given #24.
"Radio Sucre" (and several other sources) reports that the National Congress approved on 16 October 2007 the creation of the new province (57 "yes", 3 "no", 30 abstentions). The Law text has been forwarded to the President of the Republic, who should sign the Law on next 2 November.
"El Universo" shows a colour photography taken in Quito, showing flags with number "23" (and also, apparently, with number "25" , and a horizontally divided blue-white-? flag, which might be the cantonal flag of La Libertad. On the same image, a white flag (?) in the background shows the emblem and name of the Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena.
Another photography from "El Universo" shows a green-yellow flag charged with "MOVIMIENTO / 3?".
"El Comercio" reports on 24 October 2007 that two inhabitants of Santa Elena have been jailed for "offense to the flag of Guayaquil" during the demonstrations of 11, 12 and 13 October. Still according to "El Comercio", 25 October 2007, the flag of Guayaquil was burned in La Libertad during celebrations of the creation of the new province, which caused the Mayor of Guayaquil to register a formal complaint.
Ivan Sache, 28 October 2007

A new province in Ecuador is Santa Elena, which was created by splitting from the Guayas province on 7.November 2007. It contains three cantons - La Libertad, Salinas and Santa Elena. The capital city is Santa Elena. Basic information is that area is 3,763 km2 and 238,889 inhabitants.
Sources: <www.statoids.com>, Spanish wikipedia.
Valentin Poposki, 24 April 2008

I have found nice images and symbolism (in Spanish) on flag and coat of arms of newly created Ecuadorian province, Santa Elena at the website of Consejo Provincial de Santa Elena.
Zoltan Horvath, 22 October 2008

The Flag

The symbols of Santa Elena are prescribed by an Order adopted on 30 June 1953 by the Canton Council.
The Preamble of the Order states that Santa Elena hitherto had no official symbols.

Article 1.
The flag of the municipality of Santa Elena shall be composed of two horizontal stripes of the same width; the upper stripe shall be green, representing the immensity of the ocean that bathes the coasts, and the lower part shall be golden yellow, representing mineral resources.
In the center of the flag shall be placed the coat of arms of the municipality; in its upper part shall be placed six white five-pointed stars arranged in a semicircular pattern, which symbolize the six parishes of the canton.

Article 2.
The coat of arms of Santa Elena shall be composed of three quarters, one in the upper part and two in the lower part.
The upper quarter features the Santa Elena peninsula with its tempestuous see, in which are moored three Spanish vessels; on land stands the conqueror Francisco Pizarro riding a fierce horse, pointing his sword to the future of the peninsula; in the background is shown the setting sun.
The lower left quarter shall be green, in heraldry meaning abundance, charged with a golden oil derrick, whose color, combined with the other one, emphasizes the economic potential of mining.
The third and last quarter shall be golden, featuring a ceibo tree proper, the centenary symbol of the region.

The shield shall have a silver bordure, in heraldry the symbol of water, and shall be charged with two "fijas", fishing tools used by the early inhabitants of Santa Elena, placed on the left and right flanks. The upper part of the bordure shall be inscribed "MUNICIPALIDAD" and the lower part "DE SANTA ELENA".
The shield is placed on a bronze cartouche inscribed: left "1527", the year of discovery of the peninsula; right "1839", the year of elevation of Santa Elena to a "villa"; bottom center "1953", the year of creation of the coat of arms.

http://www.gadse.gob.ec/
Canton website
Ivan Sache, 18 September 2018

Coat of Arms

image located by Zoltan Horvath, 22 October 2008
image resized from website of Consejo Provincial de Santa Elena.

The coat of arms, as the patriotic symbol of this old province, was elaborated on historical ground, highlighting the cultural riches left by our forerunners, and on a vision of the future of this prosperous and progressive jurisdiction, intimately connected with the history and the socio-economical and cultural development of Ecuador.
This patriotic symbol is the symbolic union of Cantons Santa Elena, Salinas, and La Libertad, highlighting the people's struggle to obtain democratic liberty and political, social and economical independence for this important region of the homeland. It represents its intellectual, honest, kind, fair, and, most of all, hard-working people. Moreover, it represents its identity and old culture, sea and plant resources, the trade, oil extraction, tourism and handcraft potential, aimed at transforming Santa Elena to one of the most salient and productive provinces of Ecuador.
Source: Provincial website
Ivan Sache, 14 July 2018