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Flag of Lebanon
The national flag of Lebanon (Arabic: العلم الوطني للجمهورية اللبنانية) is a horizontal triband of two red stripes enveloping a central white stripe which is twice the height of each red stripe. Centered on the white stripe is a green cedar of Lebanon tree (Cedrus libani), touching both red stripes.
Adopted on 7 December 1943, shortly before Lebanon gained independence from France, the flag's design reflects the country's geography, history, and cultural heritage. The red stripes are commonly interpreted as symbolizing the blood shed by the Lebanese people during their struggles for independence, while the white stripe represents peace, purity, and the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon. The cedar tree, a national symbol for centuries, stands for immortality, resilience, and hope, embodying Lebanon's identity as the "Land of the Cedars".
The flag's origins trace back to the early 20th century, with the cedar tree becoming a prominent symbol during the French mandate period. The current design was finalized during a tense political climate in 1943, when Lebanon unilaterally abolished the French mandate. The flag was formally introduced into the Lebanese Constitution on 7 December 1943, with its design standardized in 1990 to feature an entirely green cedar tree. In 1979, 21 November was declared as National Flag Day to honor the first flag-raising in 1943.
According to the Article 5 of the Constitution of Lebanon, adopted on 7 December 1943: "The Lebanese flag shall be composed of three horizontal stripes, a white stripe between two red ones. The width of the white stripe shall be equal to that of both red stripes. In the center of and occupying one third of the white stripe is a green Cedar tree with its top touching the upper red stripe and its base touching the lower red stripe."
The constitution does not provide any additional color and design specifications, and before the amendment of the constitution on 21 September 1990, it also did not specify the color of the cedar tree, leading to variations in practice. Traditionally, as long as the essential colors and symbols are present, artistic interpretations are acceptable. Before 1990 the cedar tree on the Lebanese flag was commonly depicted with a brown trunk; similar brown-trunk variants were registered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and on official postcards of United Nations with member state flags. The 1990 amendment specified that the entire cedar tree must be green.
The cedar of Lebanon holds a prominent place in history and religious texts. It is mentioned 103 times in the Bible, often symbolizing the glory of strength, majesty, and divine blessing. In Psalms 92:12, it is written, "[t]he righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon", and in Psalms 104:16, "[t]he trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted". The cedar's wood, known for its durability and resistance to pests, was used to build sacred structures, including Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Its significance extends beyond biblical narratives into ancient Mesopotamian literature, where it plays a pivotal role in the Epic of Gilgamesh as divine wood guarded in a sacred forest. Ancient Egyptians particularly valued Lebanese cedar, using its resin in mummification processes and its wood in shipbuilding and ceremonial barges, as evidenced by cedar planks found near the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The cedar has inspired writers, poets, and political leaders. The French author and statesman Alphonse de Lamartine, marveling at the cedars during his trip to Lebanon in 1832, wrote, "[t]he cedars of Lebanon are the relics of centuries and nature, the most famous natural landmarks in the universe." Similarly, the French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who visited Lebanon in 1935, reflected on the cedar's symbolism in his work Citadelle: "[t]he peace is a long-growing tree. We need, as the cedar, to rock its unity." In 1920, during the proclamation of the State of Greater Lebanon, the cedar was described as a symbol of resilience and unity: "[a]n evergreen cedar is like a young nation despite a cruel past. Although oppressed, never conquered, the cedar is its rallying. By the union, it will break all attacks."
Writing in 1926, the Lebanese-born Jesuit Pierre Raphaël emphasized the cedar's role as a unifying national symbol during the French Mandate period, when the flag featured a cedar on a French tricolor background. He described the cedar as "a witness of the past, present and future," calling for all Lebanese to 'hold it high' as a symbol of national pride worthy of ultimate sacrifice. While interpreting the French inspired flag symbolism in a Lebanese context, he associated the blue with the Phoenician maritime legacy and 'the horizon of peace and heaven of liberty,' the white with Lebanon's snow-capped mountains and principles of justice and faith, and the red with both Phoenician purple and ancestral blood shed for traditions. Some of these symbolic associations, would later carry over into interpretations of the current flag design, which was adopted in 1943.
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Flag of Lebanon
The national flag of Lebanon (Arabic: العلم الوطني للجمهورية اللبنانية) is a horizontal triband of two red stripes enveloping a central white stripe which is twice the height of each red stripe. Centered on the white stripe is a green cedar of Lebanon tree (Cedrus libani), touching both red stripes.
Adopted on 7 December 1943, shortly before Lebanon gained independence from France, the flag's design reflects the country's geography, history, and cultural heritage. The red stripes are commonly interpreted as symbolizing the blood shed by the Lebanese people during their struggles for independence, while the white stripe represents peace, purity, and the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon. The cedar tree, a national symbol for centuries, stands for immortality, resilience, and hope, embodying Lebanon's identity as the "Land of the Cedars".
The flag's origins trace back to the early 20th century, with the cedar tree becoming a prominent symbol during the French mandate period. The current design was finalized during a tense political climate in 1943, when Lebanon unilaterally abolished the French mandate. The flag was formally introduced into the Lebanese Constitution on 7 December 1943, with its design standardized in 1990 to feature an entirely green cedar tree. In 1979, 21 November was declared as National Flag Day to honor the first flag-raising in 1943.
According to the Article 5 of the Constitution of Lebanon, adopted on 7 December 1943: "The Lebanese flag shall be composed of three horizontal stripes, a white stripe between two red ones. The width of the white stripe shall be equal to that of both red stripes. In the center of and occupying one third of the white stripe is a green Cedar tree with its top touching the upper red stripe and its base touching the lower red stripe."
The constitution does not provide any additional color and design specifications, and before the amendment of the constitution on 21 September 1990, it also did not specify the color of the cedar tree, leading to variations in practice. Traditionally, as long as the essential colors and symbols are present, artistic interpretations are acceptable. Before 1990 the cedar tree on the Lebanese flag was commonly depicted with a brown trunk; similar brown-trunk variants were registered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and on official postcards of United Nations with member state flags. The 1990 amendment specified that the entire cedar tree must be green.
The cedar of Lebanon holds a prominent place in history and religious texts. It is mentioned 103 times in the Bible, often symbolizing the glory of strength, majesty, and divine blessing. In Psalms 92:12, it is written, "[t]he righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon", and in Psalms 104:16, "[t]he trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted". The cedar's wood, known for its durability and resistance to pests, was used to build sacred structures, including Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Its significance extends beyond biblical narratives into ancient Mesopotamian literature, where it plays a pivotal role in the Epic of Gilgamesh as divine wood guarded in a sacred forest. Ancient Egyptians particularly valued Lebanese cedar, using its resin in mummification processes and its wood in shipbuilding and ceremonial barges, as evidenced by cedar planks found near the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The cedar has inspired writers, poets, and political leaders. The French author and statesman Alphonse de Lamartine, marveling at the cedars during his trip to Lebanon in 1832, wrote, "[t]he cedars of Lebanon are the relics of centuries and nature, the most famous natural landmarks in the universe." Similarly, the French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who visited Lebanon in 1935, reflected on the cedar's symbolism in his work Citadelle: "[t]he peace is a long-growing tree. We need, as the cedar, to rock its unity." In 1920, during the proclamation of the State of Greater Lebanon, the cedar was described as a symbol of resilience and unity: "[a]n evergreen cedar is like a young nation despite a cruel past. Although oppressed, never conquered, the cedar is its rallying. By the union, it will break all attacks."
Writing in 1926, the Lebanese-born Jesuit Pierre Raphaël emphasized the cedar's role as a unifying national symbol during the French Mandate period, when the flag featured a cedar on a French tricolor background. He described the cedar as "a witness of the past, present and future," calling for all Lebanese to 'hold it high' as a symbol of national pride worthy of ultimate sacrifice. While interpreting the French inspired flag symbolism in a Lebanese context, he associated the blue with the Phoenician maritime legacy and 'the horizon of peace and heaven of liberty,' the white with Lebanon's snow-capped mountains and principles of justice and faith, and the red with both Phoenician purple and ancestral blood shed for traditions. Some of these symbolic associations, would later carry over into interpretations of the current flag design, which was adopted in 1943.
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