Flag of Lebanon
national flag of the Republic 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.
Design
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.
“Flag of Lebanon” enters the record as national flag of the Republic of Lebanon. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Flag, Lebanon and national can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q36005. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1943, 1990 and 1979.
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This entry incorporates text from “Flag of Lebanon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.