Cuba Flag: Meaning, Lone Star, History, Ratio & Facts
Explore Cuba’s five blue-white stripes, red triangle, single white star, 1:2 construction and independence-era history from Cárdenas to Guáimaro.
What does the Cuban flag look like?
Cuba’s flag has five equal horizontal stripes arranged blue, white, blue, white and blue. A red equilateral triangle fills the hoist edge and contains a single white five-pointed star.
What do the colors and symbols mean?
History of the Cuba flag
The design is traditionally associated with Narciso López and Miguel Teurbe Tolón. The Lone Star flag was first raised at Cárdenas on May 19, 1850 and later became a major symbol of the independence movement.
On April 11, 1869, the Assembly of Guáimaro adopted the Lone Star flag. The Céspedes flag retained an important historical role and remains associated with Cuba’s revolutionary heritage.
Cuba flag ratio and construction
| Ratio | 1:2 |
|---|---|
| Horizontal bands | Five equal stripes |
| Blue bands | Three |
| White bands | Two |
| Triangle | Red equilateral triangle |
| Star | White five-pointed star |
| Star construction circle | 1/3 of flag height |
Cuba’s coat of arms and other national symbols
Cuba’s coat of arms includes a golden key, a rising sun, blue-and-white stripes, a royal palm, a red Phrygian cap with a white star, and branches of oak and laurel. Together with the flag and anthem, it forms part of the country’s principal national-symbol system.
Cuba flag FAQ
Why is it called the Lone Star flag?
Because a single white five-pointed star appears in the red triangle.
What is the Cuba flag ratio?
1:2.
When was it first raised?
May 19, 1850 at Cárdenas.
When was it adopted at Guáimaro?
April 11, 1869.
What do the three blue stripes represent?
They refer to the three principal divisions of colonial Cuba when the design was created and are also associated with patriotic aspirations.
Cuba Travel — National Symbols
Cuba Travel — History of Granma
Law 128/2019 on National Symbols
