Cuba’s national flag has five alternating blue and white horizontal stripes with a red triangle at the hoist containing a single white five-pointed star. The design originated in the nineteenth-century independence movement.

What does the Cuban flag look like?

Three blue stripes alternate with two white stripes. A red equilateral triangle fills the hoist side, and the white “Lone Star” sits in its centre.

Who designed the flag?

The design is associated with independence activist Narciso López and poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón around 1849–1850. It was first raised during an expedition against Spanish colonial rule and later became a symbol of Cuban independence.

What do the elements represent?

The three blue stripes are traditionally linked with Cuba’s historic divisions, while the white stripes represent ideals of independence and virtue. The red triangle is commonly associated with sacrifice and revolutionary struggle, and the single star represents an independent Cuba.

Cuba flag facts

• Nickname: La Estrella Solitaria — the Lone Star
• Colors: blue, white and red
• Design created: around 1849–1850
• National use: after independence