Lebanon Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Facts
Lebanon’s national flag has a broad white centre band between two red bands and a green cedar tree in the middle. The design is defined directly by Article 5 of the Constitution.
What does the Lebanon flag look like?
The flag has a red upper band, a broad white middle band and a red lower band. A green cedar tree occupies the centre of the white section.
What does the cedar represent?
The cedar is one of Lebanon’s most enduring national symbols, strongly associated with the country’s mountains, antiquity and national identity.
Explore the cedar and flag symbolism →
What does the Constitution say?
Article 5 specifies the exact red-white-red structure and requires a green cedar in the middle of the white band.
What are the band proportions?
The white section must equal the size of the two red sections combined, giving the flag a 1:2:1 band relationship.
Does the Constitution define the colors’ meanings?
No. Popular explanations often associate red with sacrifice and white with peace or snow, but Article 5 itself defines the design without assigning one legally binding meaning to each color.
How did the flag develop?
During the French Mandate, Lebanese flags often combined French tricolour elements with a cedar. In the independence period of 1943, Lebanon adopted the distinct red-white-red cedar design used today.
When was it written into the Constitution?
Article 5 was amended on December 7, 1943 to define the modern flag.
Read the Lebanon flag history →
How can you identify Lebanon’s flag?
The green cedar on a broad white centre band is unique among sovereign national flags.
Lebanon flag facts
| Colors | Red, white, green |
|---|---|
| Central symbol | Cedar tree |
| Band relationship | 1:2:1 |
| Constitutional article | Article 5 |
| Modern design | 1943 |
Lebanon flag FAQ
Does the cedar have to touch the red bands?
Yes. Article 5 specifies that its top and base touch the upper and lower red sections.
Is red officially defined as blood?
Not by Article 5; that is a popular interpretation rather than the Constitution’s wording.
