What Do the Colors of the Cuban Flag Mean?
The colors of the Cuban flag, blue, red and white, signify the divisions of the island nation and symbolize both its historical struggle for independence as well as the peace it now enjoys. The arrangement and design elements of the flag each have their own meaning.
The design of the Cuban flag consists of a ground of three blue and two white horizontal stripes or bands, with a red triangle on the left at the hoist. A white five-pointed star is found inside the red triangle. All of these elements have a specific meaning.
- The three blue stripes represent the three divisions of the island into central, east and west. These were the three Cuban states at the time of independence.
- The white stripes represent peace.
- The red color represents the blood shed during the war of independence.
- The triangle represents equality, liberty and fraternity.
- The white star stands for freedom and independence, and it’s known as La Estrella Solitaria, or the Lone Star.
The Cuban flag was created by Narciso Lopez, a Venezuelan-born general in the Spanish army who took up the cause of Cuban liberation in 1849. The design was suggested by a poet named Emilia Tolon. Lopez was later executed by the Spanish during a failed attempt to liberate Cuba in 1851.
