---
title: "Flag of Lebanon: colours and meaning"
description: "What every colour and symbol on the Lebanon flag stands for, its official 2:3 ratio, and the year the current design was adopted."
url: https://atoneplace.net/flag/lebanon/
site: "At One Place"
---

# The flag of Lebanon

**The flag of Lebanon: Three horizontal bands of red, white and red, the white twice the height of each red band, with a green cedar tree at the centre.**

Ratio 2:3 · current design adopted 1943

The constitution requires the cedar to touch both edges of the white band and to be entirely green, which rules out the brown trunk that many reproductions add. The tree has been the country's emblem since the Ottoman period and the design was sketched during a parliamentary session in November 1943, at the moment of independence from France. Old-growth Lebanon cedar now survives in only a few protected groves. The band proportions, 1:2:1, distinguish it from Austria and Peru.

## What the colours mean

*Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.*

- **Red** (#EE161F) — The blood shed for liberation
- **White** (#FFFFFF) — The snow of Mount Lebanon, and peace
- **Green** (#00A850) — The cedar; immortality and steadiness

## The symbols on it

| What | What it stands for |
| --- | --- |
| Cedar of Lebanon | The national tree, mentioned repeatedly in the Bible; holiness, eternity and peace |

- **Ratio:** 2:3
- **Current design adopted:** 1943
- **Colours:** red, white, green

## Common questions

### What does the flag of Lebanon look like?

Three horizontal bands of red, white and red, the white twice the height of each red band, with a green cedar tree at the centre.

### What do the colours of the Lebanon flag mean?

Red: the blood shed for liberation. White: the snow of Mount Lebanon, and peace. Green: the cedar; immortality and steadiness.

### When was the Lebanon flag adopted?

The current design dates from 1943, and its official ratio is 2:3.

## Related pages

- [Lebanon](https://atoneplace.net/country/lebanon/)
- [Every flag with red in it](https://atoneplace.net/flag/colour/red/)
- [The flag of United States](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-states/)
- [The flag of United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-kingdom/)
- [The flag of Canada](https://atoneplace.net/flag/canada/)
- [The flag of France](https://atoneplace.net/flag/france/)
- [The flag of China](https://atoneplace.net/flag/china/)
- [The flag of Germany](https://atoneplace.net/flag/germany/)
- [The flag of Russia](https://atoneplace.net/flag/russia/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]