<P> The French privateer Louis - Michel Aury used the Argentine flag as a model for the blue - white - blue flag of the first independent state in Central America, which was created 1818 in Isla de Providencia, an island off the east coast of Nicaragua . This state existed until approximately 1821, before the Gran Colombia took over control of these islands . Somewhat later (1823) this flag was again used as the model for the flag of the United Provinces of Central America, a confederation of the current Central American states of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which existed from 1823 to 1838 . After the dissolution of the Union, the five countries became independent, but even today all of these states except Costa Rica use flags of blue - white - blue stripes (the Costa Rican flag has a red stripe superimposed on the white one, added to incorporate all the colors of the French flag). The Argentine flag also inspired the flags of Uruguay and Paraguay . </P> <Table> Current flags of Central and South American countries <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Costa Rica </Td> <Td> El Salvador </Td> <Td> Guatemala </Td> <Td> Honduras </Td> <Td> Nicaragua </Td> <Td> Paraguay </Td> <Td> Uruguay </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Costa Rica </Td> <Td> El Salvador </Td> <Td> Guatemala </Td> <Td> Honduras </Td> <Td> Nicaragua </Td> <Td> Paraguay </Td> <Td> Uruguay </Td> </Tr>

Why is the argentina flag blue and white