Flag of Liberia
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Monrovia
- Flag adopted
- 1847
- Population
- 5,248,621
- Area
- 111,369 km²
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Liberian dollar ($) — LRD
- Demonym
- Liberian
- Government
- presidential republic
- Subregion
- Western Africa
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC
- Independence
- 1847
Religions
- Christian 84.9%
- Muslim 12%
- None 2.6%
- Traditional 0.5%
- Other 0.1%
About This Flag
Eleven alternating horizontal stripes of red and white (six red, five white) with a white five-pointed star on a blue canton in the upper hoist corner. The design closely resembles the flag of the United States, reflecting Liberia's founding by formerly enslaved African Americans and free Black people from the United States in the 19th century.
Adopted on August 24, 1847, when Liberia declared independence, it is one of the oldest flags in Africa. The design has remained essentially unchanged for over 175 years.
What the colors & design mean
The eleven stripes represent the eleven signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence. Red and white signify courage and moral excellence. The blue canton represents the African continent. The white star symbolizes Liberia as the first independent republic in Africa.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes, Canton Design
Bordering countries (3)
Fun Facts
- Liberia's flag is the most-used flag of convenience in global maritime shipping; more ships fly the Liberian flag than almost any other nation's.
- Liberia and Ethiopia are the only two African countries that were never colonized by European powers, though Liberia was founded through American colonization.
- The flag's similarity to the US flag is intentional, as the American Colonization Society organized the settlement of freed African Americans in what became Liberia.
- Liberia's capital Monrovia is named after James Monroe, the fifth US president who supported the colonization project.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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