🇱🇧 The colours of Lebanon

Lebanon’s flag features red, white, and green. Red stands for the blood shed for independence, white for peace and snow-capped mountains, and the green cedar tree for immortality, resilience, and hope. The cedar is a long-standing national symbol, deeply rooted in Lebanon’s history and culture.

Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.

• The cedar tree is mentioned 103 times in the Bible.
• Red and white may also recall historic Qaysi and Yamani factions.
• The cedar symbolised the Maronites before becoming a national emblem.
• The flag was adopted just before independence from France in 1943.
• Since 1990, the cedar on the flag must be all green.

The colours of the flag of Lebanon

The Lebanese flag has two red stripes framing a broad white band, with a green cedar tree in the centre. Red is widely understood to represent the blood of those who fought for Lebanon’s independence, while white stands for peace, purity, and the snowy peaks of the country’s mountains. The green cedar, a tree native to Lebanon and mentioned often in religious texts, is a symbol of immortality, resilience, and hope. These meanings are drawn from both official interpretations and popular tradition, with some variations in emphasis depending on the community or context.

How the colours were chosen of Lebanon

The cedar tree has been a symbol of Lebanon since at least the 18th century, first linked to the Maronite Christian community. In the early 20th century, as Lebanese national identity grew, the idea of a flag with a cedar tree gained support among emigrant communities and local leaders. During the French Mandate, the cedar appeared on a tricolour flag. The current flag, adopted in 1943 as Lebanon moved to independence, combined the red and white with the central green cedar. Before 1990, the cedar was often shown with a brown trunk, but this was later changed to all green.

Official shades and rules of Lebanon

The Lebanese Constitution sets the flag’s layout: three horizontal stripes, with the white stripe twice the height of each red stripe, and a green cedar tree in the centre touching both red stripes. No official colour shades are specified. Since 1990, the cedar must be entirely green. Artistic variations are allowed as long as the main elements are present.