Flag of Liberia

The flag of Liberia or the Liberian flag bears a close resemblance to the flag of the United States, representing Liberia's founding by a group of free people of color and formerly enslaved black people primarily from the United States.[1]

Republic of Liberia
UseNational flag and ensign
Proportion10:19
AdoptedAugust 24, 1847
DesignEleven horizontal stripes alternating red and white; in the canton, a white star on a blue field
Variant flag of Republic of Liberia
UseNaval Jack

The Liberian flag has similar red and white stripes, as well as a blue square with a white star in the canton. It was adopted on August 24, 1847.[2]

Symbolism

The eleven stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence and the red and white symbolize courage and moral excellence. The white star represents the first independent republic in Africa, above the blue square representing the African continent. The Liberian flag is modeled after and resembles the United States flag because Liberia was founded, colonized, established, and controlled by free people of color and formerly enslaved black people from the United States and the Caribbean with the help and support of both the United States government and the American Colonization Society (ACS), a private organization dedicated to the removal of free people of color from across North America. Some time after the African Americans began arriving in Liberia in 1822, they came to be identified as "Americo-Liberians" in an effort to separate them from native groups and enslaved Africans rescued from illegal slaving ports and ships by the American navy.

The flag is seen on many ships around the world as Liberia offers registration under its flag. Shipping companies do this to avoid taxes and restrictions that other countries enforce. As the second most popular flag of convenience (after the flag of Panama), it is estimated that 1,700 foreign-owned ships fly the Liberian flag.[3] This brings in much of the country's revenue.[4]

Other flags

County flags

Liberia is subdivided into 15 counties, each of which is entitled to its own flag. Each county flag bears the national flag of Liberia in the canton. The county flags are flown at regional offices and together encircling the national flag of Liberia at the Presidential Palace.

  • Flag of Bomi County
  • Flag of Bong County
  • Flag of Gbarpolu County
  • Flag of Grand Bassa County
  • Flag of Grand Cape Mount County
  • Flag of Grand Gedeh County
  • Flag of Grand Kru County
  • Flag of Lofa County
  • Flag of Margibi County
  • Flag of Maryland County
  • Flag of Montserrado County
  • Flag of Nimba County
  • Flag of Rivercess County
  • Flag of River Gee County
  • Flag of Sinoe County

References
  1. "Background on conflict in Liberia". Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Paul Cuffee advocated settling formerly enslaved African Americans in Africa. He gained support from free black leaders in the US, and members of Congress for an early emigration plan. From 1815 to 1816, he financed and captained a successful voyage to British-ruled Sierra Leone, where he helped a small group of African-American immigrants establish themselves. Cuffee believed that African-Americans could more easily "rise to be a people" in Africa than in the US, where slavery and legislated limits on black freedom were still in place. Although Cuffee died in 1817, his early efforts to help repatriate African-Americans encouraged some free blacks and the American Colonization Society (ACS) to lead further settlements. Some free blacks in the Upper South created independent institutions dedicated to the idea of repatriation to Africa. The ACS was made up mostly of Friends (often called Quakers) and slaveholders, who disagreed on the issue of slavery but found common ground in support of repatriation. Friends opposed slavery but believed blacks would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the US. The White Americans slaveholders opposed freedom for blacks but saw repatriation as a way of avoiding rebellions
  2. "Liberia Flag and Description".
  3. "Liberian shipping draws scrutiny". NBC News. 11 August 2003.
  4. "Liberia Flag- Liberian Flags". World Flags 101.
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