The

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

( ar, علم لبنان) is formed of two horizontal red stripes enveloping a horizontal white stripe. The white stripe is twice the height (width) of the red ones (ratio 1:2:1)—a

Spanish fess In heraldry and vexillology, a Spanish fess is a term occasionally used to describe the central horizontal stripe of a tricolour or triband flag that is twice the width of the stripes on either side of it. The name is based on the most well-kn ...

. The green cedar (Lebanon cedar) in the middle touches each of the red stripes and its width is one third of the width of the flag.

Symbolism

The presence and position of the Cedar in the middle of the flag is directly inspired by the Lebanese cedar (''Cedrus libani''). The Cedar is the symbol of Lebanon. The Cedar of Lebanon has its origin in many biblical references. The cedar of Lebanon is mentioned seventy-seven times in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

, notably in the book

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, chapter 92, verse 13, where it says that "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon" and Chapter 104, verse 16, where it is stated: " e trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted".

Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

(1790–1869), marveling at the cedars of Lebanon during his trip to the Middle East with his daughter Julia, had these words: " e cedars of Lebanon are the relics of centuries and nature, the most famous natural landmarks in the universe. They know the history of the earth, better than the story itself". Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944), who loved the cedars and also had visited Lebanon in 1935, wrote in his work ''Citadel'' " e peace is a long growing tree. We need, as the cedar, to rock its unity". In 1920, in a text of the proclamation of the State of Greater Lebanon, it was said: " 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". The white color on the flag represents the snow as a symbol of purity and peace. The two red stripes refer to the Lebanese blood shed to preserve the country against the successive invaders.

Construction sheet

According to the Article 5 of the constitution of Lebanon: "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 strip and its base touching the lower red stripe".

Colors scheme

History

Ancient flags of Lebanon

File:Phoenician Flag.png, Phoenician Flag File:Standard of Cyrus the Great (Achaemenid Empire).svg,

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg,

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

File:Derafsh Kaviani flag of the late Sassanid Empire.svg,

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...

File:Rectangular green flag.svg,

Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...

File:Abbassid banner.svg,

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

File:Umayyad Flag.svg,

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...

File:Flag of Kingdom of Jerusalem.svg,

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establishe ...

Flag (1099–1291)

Flags of clans during the Middle Ages

File:Jumblatian Flag.png, Feudal Flag of the Jumblatt clan during Middle Ages File:Abu Kanad Flag.svg, Feudal Flag of the Al Nakad clan during Middle Ages File:Lamaite Flag.png, Feudal Flag of the Lamaite princes during Middle Ages

Flags of sultanates and emirates

File:Maanid Emirate Flag.svg, Flag of the Maanid Emirate (1119–1697) File:Abbassid_banner.svg, Flag under the

(750–1258) File:Flag of Ayyubid Dynasty.svg, Flag under the

Ayyubid Dynasty The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni ...

(1171–1250) File:Mameluke Flag.svg, Flag under the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517) File:Chehab Emirate flag.svg, Flag of the Chehab Emirate (1697–1842) File:Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire.svg, Flag under the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

(1844–1917) Throughout part of its history, Lebanon, or at least its region, had taken the flag of the people who occupied it (

Mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

)

French Mandate of Lebanon

File:Flag of Lebanon during French Mandate (1920-1943).svg, Flag of the State of Greater Lebanon during the French mandate (1920–1943) File:Flag_of_Lebanon_during_French_Mandate_(1920-1943)_2.svg, Flag of the State of Greater Lebanon during the French mandate 1920–1943 (variant) File:Flag_of_Lebanon_during_French_Mandate_(1920-1943)_3.svg, Flag of the State of Greater Lebanon during the French mandate 1920–1943 (variant) During the

French Mandate of Lebanon The State of Greater Lebanon ( ar, دولة لبنان الكبير, Dawlat Lubnān al-Kabīr; french: État du Grand Liban), informally known as French Lebanon, was a state declared on 1 September 1920, which became the Lebanese Republic ( ar, ...

, the Lebanese flag was designed by the president of the Lebanese Renaissance Movement, the late Naoum Mokarzel. It was similar to the

tricolour A tricolour () or tricolor () is a type of flag or banner design with a triband design which originated in the 16th century as a symbol of republicanism, liberty, or revolution. The flags of France, Italy, Romania, Mexico, and Ireland were ...

flag of France The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Irelan ...

but with a green cedar (Lebanon Cedar) in the middle.

Lebanese Republic

The present Lebanese flag was adopted just prior to independence from France in 1943. Seeking independence, the actual flag was first drawn by member of parliament Henri Pharaon in the Chamber of deputies

Saeb Salam Saeb Salam (17 January 1905 – 21 January 2000) ( ar, صائب سلام) was a Lebanese politician, who served as Prime Minister six times between 1952 and 1973. Following his death, the Lebanese daily ''As-Safir'' described Salam as "most ...

's house in Mousaitbeh by the deputies of the Lebanese parliament. It was adopted on 7 December 1943, during a meeting in the parliament, where the article 5 in the Lebanese constitution was modified. One theory is that Henri Pharaon based the composition of the flag on the Lebanese geography and therefore, the first red represents the

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at . Geography The Mount Le ...

and the second red represents the

Anti-Lebanon Mountains The Anti-Lebanon Mountains ( ar, جبال لبنان الشرقية, Jibāl Lubnān ash-Sharqiyyah, Eastern Mountains of Lebanon; Lebanese Arabic: , , "Eastern Mountains") are a southwest–northeast-trending mountain range that forms most of t ...

and the white represents the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...

, which is situated in the middle of the two mountain ranges on the map of Lebanon. And the green cedar (Lebanon Cedar) in the middle of the white part touches each of the red stripes is added because Lebanon is sometimes

metonymically Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name ...

referred to as the Land of the Cedars. The composition of the white stripe (a

) could have been inspired by the red-yellow-red

Flag of Spain The national flag of Spain ( es, Bandera de España), as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle ...

, where the flag structure is based on the Lebanese connection to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and its

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n past that reached to the Mediterranean shores of present-day Spain. However, the most likely inspiration for the modern flag is the flag of the precursor to the modern republic, The

Mount Lebanon Emirate The Emirate of Mount Lebanon () was a part of Mount Lebanon that enjoyed variable degrees of partial autonomy under the stable suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire between the mid-16th and the early-19th century. The town of Baakleen was the seat o ...

. The Emirate bore the flag of the Ma'an dynasty, a

Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...

dynasty which included one of the most influential figures in the shaping of an independent Lebanese identity, Emir

Fakhr al-Din II Fakhr al-Din ibn Qurqumaz Ma'n ( ar, فَخْر ٱلدِّين بِن قُرْقُمَاز مَعْن, Fakhr al-Dīn ibn Qurqumaz Maʿn; – March or April 1635), commonly known as Fakhr al-Din II or Fakhreddine II ( ar, فخر الدين ال ...

, who struggled through his reign to establish independence from the Ottoman Empire. The flag has the exact same color scheme and even a similar composition. Red, white, and green being the primary colors with the green wreath in the center being replaced by the cedar in the modern flag; it is entirely probable that the modern flag is simply a redesign of this older, dynastic flag. Further evidence is supported by the fact that many government institutions in Lebanon continue to use the Ma'anid flag, such as the flag of the

Lebanese Armed Forces ) , founded = 1 August 1945 , current_form = 1991 , disbanded = , branches = Lebanese Ground ForcesLebanese Air ForceLebanese Navy , headquarters = Yarze, Lebanon , flying_hours = , website ...

, but without the green wreath, and it is still in place to this day.

Variant flags of Lebanon

The following is a list of variant flags used in Lebanon File:Flag of the Lebanese Republic.png, Design stored at

WIPO The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishin ...

File:Lebanese flag.JPG, Flag as drawn and approved by the members of the parliament during the declaration of independence in 1943 File:Flag_of_Hejaz_1917.svg, Flag used in the post-World War I under the Arab Administration (1918–1920) File:Deir El Qamar Flag.svg, Flag used in Deir El Qamar, Capital of the Maanid and early Chehab emirs (1830) File:Merdai Rebels Flag.png, Rebels Flag during the Marada era File:Kaissy Flag.png, National Maanid flag File:Prince Ibrahim Rebels Flag.png, Rebels' flag during the rule of Prince Ibrahim

Official Lebanese flags from 1918–present

File:Cedar flag.svg, Flag of the region of Lebanon after the fall of the

(1918–1920) File:Flag of Lebanon during French Mandate (1920-1943).svg, Flag of the State of Greater Lebanon during the French mandate (1920–1943) File:Flag of Lebanon.svg, Flag of Republic of Lebanon (1943–present)

Flags of municipalities in Lebanon

File:Flag of Beirut.svg, Flag of the municipality of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, the capital city of

Other flags

File:Flag of the Lebanese Army.svg, Flag of the Lebanese Army File:Flag of the Lebanese Air Force.svg, Flag of the

Lebanese Air Force The Lebanese Air Force (LAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية اللبنانية, Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Lubnaniyya) is the aerial warfare branch of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The seal of the air force is a Roundel with two wings and a Lebanese ...

File:Garde républicaine.gif, Flag of the

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

File:Banner of the County of Tripoli.png, Flag of the

County of Tripoli The County of Tripoli (1102–1289) was the last of the Crusader states. It was founded in the Levant in the modern-day region of Tripoli, northern Lebanon and parts of western Syria which supported an indigenous population of Christians, ...

, 1102-1289 AD File:Flag of Lebanese troops during WWI.png, Flag of the Lebanese Troops during WW1

Notes

External links

*
Lebanese Flag
Accurate, high quality, & high resolution flags of Lebanon. {{DEFAULTSORT:Flag of Lebanon

National symbols of Lebanon