Everything Totally Explained


Ask & we'll explain, totally!
Flag of Cuba
Totally Explained


  NEW! All the latest news in the worlds of computer gaming, entertainment, the environment,  
finance, health, politics, science, stocks & shares, technology and much, much, more.  


View this entry using RSS

Everything about Flag Of Cuba totally explained

Flag ratio: 2:3]]The flag of Cuba was adopted on May 20, 1902, containing a field with five blue and white stripes, and a red triangle at the hoist with a white 5-pointed star. The flag was designed in 1848 for the liberation movement, which sought to detach Cuba from Spain and make it into a state of the US. "La Estrella", the Lone Star, represented another star that would be added to "the splendid North American constellation." The triangle is derived from the Masonic symbol for equality, while the 5 stripes stand for the 5 provinces of the time. The flag was briefly hoisted in 1850 at Cardenas but wasn't officially adopted until 1902, when independence was granted by the US. Ironically, the flag's design is based on the US Stars and Stripes.

Birth of the flag

The Cuban flag was created by Narciso López in 1849, and put together by Emilia Teurbe Tolón. The Cuban flag's origins date from 1849, when various movements to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule emerged, mainly among Cuban exiles in the United States. Anti-Spanish Cuban exiles under the leadership of Narciso López adopted a flag suggested by the poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón. His design incorporates three blue stripes, representing the sea that surrounds the island of Cuba, and two white stripes symbolizing the purity of the patriotic cause. The red triangle stands for the blood shed to free the nation, which is placed where the star is, symbolizing the sky turned red from the blood shed in battle. The white star in the triangle stands for independence. López carried this flag in battle at Cárdenas (1850) and Playitas (1851). Although Lopez wasn't victorious, this was the first instance of the flag being raised in Cuba.
   At the first independence war there was another flag in use, the "flag of Yara" also called "flag of La Demajagua"; while the one with the triangle and the stripes became the official Cuban flag, the Yara one is hoisted "wherever the legislators of the Cuban people meet"; in particular it's displayed, along with the national flag, on the National Assembly.

Subsequent use of the flag

In April 1869, Narciso Lopez's flag was designated the national banner by the Congress of the Republic of Cuba in Arms. After the United States seized Cuba from Spain during the Spanish-American War, the Stars and Stripes flew from January 1, 1899, until independence was granted. On May 20, 1902, the Cuban national flag was hoisted as a symbol of independence and sovereignty. It has been used ever since, remaining unchanged after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. During the revolution, Cuban president Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement created a party flag equally divided in red and black, usually in horizontal stripes and often with inscriptions, which is often flown on public buildings.

Cuban Flag Meaning

The Cuban government's official version of the meaning of the Cuban flag states that - the blue stripes refer to the three old divisions of the island; and the two white stripes represent the strength of the independent ideal. The red triangle symbolizes equality, fraternity and freedom, as well as the blood shed in the island's struggle for independence. Finally, the white star symbolizes the absolute freedom among the Cuban people.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Flag Of Cuba'.


External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

    <a href="http://flag_of_cuba.totallyexplained.com">Flag of Cuba Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
   As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.



Copyright © 2007-8 totallyexplained.com | Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License | Site Map
This article contains text from the Wikipedia article Flag of Cuba (History) and is released under the GFDL | RSS Version