Africa · LR / LBR
Flag of Liberia
The Liberia flag has eleven horizontal stripes, alternating red and white, with a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist corner. It was adopted in 1847 and was modeled on the flag of the United States.
What the flag of Liberia looks like
The flag of Liberia has eleven horizontal stripes of equal height, starting with red at the top and ending with red at the bottom: six red stripes and five white. In the upper left corner, next to the pole, is a blue square canton that holds a single white five-pointed star. The flag is long compared with its height, with a ratio of 10:19.
The pattern is familiar because it follows the flag of the United States, but the two are easy to tell apart. The American flag has thirteen stripes and a canton filled with fifty stars. The Liberian flag has eleven stripes and one star, and its canton is a smaller blue square. The Liberian version is also close to the flag of Malaysia, which has fourteen stripes and a yellow crescent and star.
Each of Liberia's fifteen counties also has its own county flag, and each bears the national flag in its canton.
Liberia flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#BF0A30RGB
191, 10, 48CMYK
0, 95, 75, 25HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0HEX
#00205BRGB
0, 32, 91CMYK
100, 65, 0, 64Liberia flag meaning and symbolism
The eleven stripes symbolize the signatories of Liberia's Declaration of Independence, and the red and white colors symbolize courage and moral excellence. The blue square represents the African continent, and the white star represents the first independent republic in Africa. The flag is occasionally called the Lone Star.
The 1961 law that describes the flag sets out its construction but does not state these meanings.
History of the Liberian flag
Liberia was founded by free-born and formerly enslaved Black Americans who began emigrating to West Africa in 1822 with the support of the American Colonization Society, a private organization, and the US government. They settled on the coast around present-day Monrovia, and the colony was run by the society and later by its own settlers. Liberia declared independence on 26 July 1847.
A flag was needed for the new republic. The flag was designed and hand-stitched by a committee of seven women, which Governor Joseph Jenkins Roberts asked Susannah Elizabeth Lewis to head in July 1847, and it was adopted on 24 August 1847. It followed the stripes and star pattern that was familiar to the settlers from the US.
The flag has stayed the same since 1847; a commission that reviewed national symbols in the 1970s recommended no changes to it. Liberia celebrates Flag Day on 24 August, a holiday proclaimed in 1915. It has never been a US territory: it was a settlement and then a fully independent republic, and the United States recognized it in 1862.
Why Liberia and the United States have similar flags
The Liberian flag was designed by people who had lived under the American flag, and the connection to the United States was a core part of the country's founding. It reflects that connection, not a sign of control. The capital's name, Monrovia (named for US president James Monroe), reflects the same link. Malaysia's flag is a separate case, since it developed from earlier flags in Southeast Asia and has a different layout.
Liberia flag facts
| Country | Liberia |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | August 24, 1847 |
| Proportions | 10:19 |
| Colors | #BF0A30, #FFFFFF, #00205B |
| Symbols | five-pointed star |
| Flag emoji | 🇱🇷 |
| Country code | LR, LBR (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Monrovia |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population | 5,214,030 |
| Area | 111,369 km² |
| Currency | Liberian dollar |
| National anthem | All Hail, Liberia, Hail! |
Liberia flag: frequently asked questions
Why is Liberia using the USA flag?
It is not the American flag. Liberia's flag was designed in 1847 by a committee of women born in the United States and follows the American pattern, with eleven stripes and one star instead of thirteen stripes and fifty stars.
What is the deeper meaning of the Liberian flag?
The eleven stripes stand for the eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence. The red and white stand for courage and moral excellence, blue for the African continent, and the star for the first independent republic in Africa.
Is Liberia still a US territory?
No. Liberia has been an independent republic since 26 July 1847. It was founded by Americans but was never a US territory.
What are the Liberian county flags?
Liberia has fifteen counties, and each has its own flag with the national flag in the canton. The county flags were introduced in 1965 for the nine counties then existing, with designs inspired by Liberia's quilting tradition, and they are flown at regional offices.
Who designed the Liberian flag?
A committee of seven women hand-stitched and designed it, led by Susannah Elizabeth Lewis at the request of Governor Joseph Jenkins Roberts in July 1847. All of them were born in the United States. The flag was adopted on 24 August 1847, about a month after independence.
Why do ships fly the Liberian flag?
Liberia lets foreign-owned ships register under its flag, which helps shipping companies avoid some taxes and restrictions. It is the second most popular flag of convenience after Panama's, with an estimated 1,700 foreign-owned ships, and this brings in much of the country's revenue.
When is Liberia's Flag Day?
Flag Day is on 24 August, the date the flag was adopted in 1847. President Daniel Edward Howard signed the law that proclaimed it a national holiday on 24 October 1915. When the flag was first shown in Monrovia, there were speeches and band music.
