The state flag of the freely associated state of Puerto Rico was approved in July 1952. It was then that the country received the status of an associated territory and adopted a constitution.
Description and proportions of the flag of Puerto Rico
The flag of Puerto Rico is a classic quadrangular panel, the length of which is relative to the width in a 3: 2 ratio. The main field of the Puerto Rico flag consists of five horizontal stripes of equal width. The flag of Puerto Rico has three bright red and two white stripes. The extreme top and bottom are red. From the flagpole of Puerto Rico, an isosceles triangle of bright blue color cuts into its field, in the center of which is a five-pointed white star.
The Puerto Rican flag can be used by citizens and government agencies on land and by private and government vessels on the water as a commercial flag. The design of the flag of Puerto Rico has been approved by the state authorities, but not officially adopted.
Unlike the majority of states, on the coat of arms of which the motive or colors of the flag is repeated, the coat of arms of Puerto Rico has a completely different look than the flag. It was granted to the country by the Spanish monarchy, and it is the very first coat of arms in the New World.
The coat of arms of Puerto Rico depicts a white lamb on a green background applied to a shield. The Lamb sits on the Book of Revelation, and the flags with the coats of arms of various Spanish kingdoms and royal families are framed by a heraldic shield.
History of the flag of Puerto Rico
The real current flag of Puerto Rico was created at the end of the 19th century. It comes from the flag of Cuba and was used by the activists of the revolutionary party that led the struggle for liberation from Spanish rule.
The US victory in the war with Spain led to the landing of American troops on the island, and starting in 1899, the Stars and Stripes official banner of the States became the flag of Puerto Rico.
In this form, the system of state symbols of Puerto Rico existed until 1952, after which the current version of the flag was approved. It is recognized not only as the state, but also the national flag of Puerto Rico and is flown only accompanied by the flag of the States. This is because the territory of the island has an associated status, but its political status has not yet been fully determined.
