The flag of United States of America has thirteen horizontal stripes of red and white, alternating with red at the top and bottom. In the upper left (hoist side), a blue rectangle contains fifty white five-pointed stars, in what is called the canton.
The stars are arranged in rows of alternating rows of five and six stars. The official flag proportions are 10:19, but this is not followed strictly except for in government use.
Symbolism
The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that were settled by the British Empire. In 1776, the colonies achieved independence, and came together to form United States of America. Over the history of the United States, the country expanded across the continent to the west coast and beyond, increasing the total number of states to fifty. The fifty states are represented by the fifty stars in the canton.
History
The earliest of flags was adopted by Continental Congress and remained in use until 1777. This flag had the red and white stripes, but instead of the stars, the British Union Jack was positioned in the corner. On June 14, 1777, the flag design was changed to one with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, which were commonly arranged in a circle.
The flag design changed with each state or group of states as they were added to the Union, until the present-day design was adopted on July 4, 1960.
| Flag Facts |
| Adopted | 22101 |
| Proportion | 0.4298611111 |
| Colors | Red, White, Blue |
| Nickname | Star Spangled Banner, Old Glory, The Stars and Stripes |
ACOD~20121010
Last Updated on : October 11, 2012
