Republic of Cuba, 1902

In 1848 or 1849, a Venezuelan general, Narciso López, designed a flag, and his wife embroidered it, “La Estrella Solitaria”, the Lone Star-banner. On 19 May 1850 he flew it in the city of Cárdenas, east of Havana. This flag was officially designated Cuba’s National Flag upon its independence on 20 May 1902. The three light blue stripes (later changed to ocean blue), represent Cuba’s three sections at the time, Western, Central and Eastern. The two white stripes represent the purity and justice of the patriotic liberators’ motives and the lone white star within the equilateral red triangle represents the unity of the Cuban people upon the blood spilled by their revolutionary heroes.