Flags of the World

Laos Flag

The national flag of Laos has three horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are red and are each one-quarter of the flags height. A blue stripe in the middle takes up the other half. A white circle is centered in the blue stripe. The red stripes symbolize the blood shed by the people as they fought for independence. The blue stripe symbolizes the wealth of Laos and prosperity. The white circle represents justice and unity, and also the full moon as it rises over the Mekong River.

The flag of Laos was officially adopted on December 2, 1975 and is based off the flag of the Lao Patriotic Front. Laos gained its independence in 1949 from France.

Latvia Flag

The Latvia flag has a single white stripe on a maroon base. The white stripe runs horizontally through the middle of the flag. The meaning of the flag was best put by Dr. Karlis Ulmanis, the last president before the Soviet invasion in 1940. Dr. Ulmanis said, "White stands for right and truth, the honor of free citizens and trustworthiness. But the maroon/red reminds us of the blood that has been shed in the recent past. It has been shed at all times in the remote past and we are ready to offer it again for freedom and independence, for our nation and country."

Latvia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and the current flag was adopted on February 27, 1990.

Lebanon Flag

The national flag of Lebanon has three horizontal stripes. There are two red stripes of equal width on the top and bottom with a large white stripe in the center. Within the center stripe is a green cedar tree. The red stripes on the flag represent self-sacrifice and martyrdom. The white stripe represents the snow-capped peaks of the Lebanese mountains. The cedar tree has long been a symbol of the Maronite Christians and symbolizes peace, tolerance and immortality.

The flag of Lebanon was officially adopted on December 7, 1943; about two weeks after Lebanon became an independent country.

Lesotho Flag

The national flag of Lesotho has three diagonal stripes from the bottom left to the top right. The largest diagonal is on the left and is white. The middle diagonal stripe is blue and the stripe on the bottom right is green. On the white stripe is a traditional shield in brown that is part of the Lesotho coat of arms. The white on the flag symbolizes peace. The blue stripe symbolizes water and rain. The green bottom stripe symbolizes the country's fertile land. The brown emblem in the left corner represents the Lesotho people's willingness to defend their country.

The flag of Lesotho was adopted after a religious coup on January 19, 1987. Not only did Lesotho get a new flag, the country got a new name. The former name of Lesotho was Basutoland.

Liberia Flag

The Liberia flag looks similar to the flag of the United States. This flag has five red and six white horizontal stripes that alternate. In the upper left corner of the flag is a blue square with a white, five-point star in the center. The eleven stripes on the Liberia flag represent the eleven men who signed the Liberian Declaration of Independence. The white and red are symbolic of the moral excellence and courage of the country. The blue square is representative of the African mainland and the star in the square is for the freedom the slaves were given.

After gaining its independence Liberia adopted its current flag on July 26, 1847. The Liberian flag is flown on many ships throughout the world, mostly to avoid high taxes. The reason for the similar look of this flag to that of the USA is that Liberia was once recognized as a colony of the USA. The country was settled by freed American slaves in the early 19th century.

Libya Flag

The national flag of Libya is solid green. Green is also the national color of Libya and is the color that symbolizes the Islam faith. The color is also symbolic of President Muammar al Qaddafi's Green Revolution.

Libya is the only country in the world that has a monochromatic, or single colored, flag. The flag was officially adopted on November 19, 1977 after it declared itself independent of the Federation of Arabs Republic.

Liechtenstein Flag

The Liechtenstein national flag has two main colors on two equal horizontal halves. The top half of the flag is blue and the bottom half of the flag is red. There is a gold crown outlined in black in the upper left corner of the flag. Joseph Hoop, the head of the Liechtenstein government in 1937 said of the meaning of the flag "blue is the color of the radiant sky, red the color of the embers in the fireplace during evening gatherings, gold of the crown shows that our people, our country and our princely House are united in heart and spirit. Blue and red are the country's national colors..."

The Liechtenstein flag was officially adopted on September 18, 1982.

Lithuania Flag

The Lithuanian national flag has three horizontal stripes of equal width. From top to bottom the colors are yellow, green and red. Those three colors are based on Lithuania's traditional national dress. The yellow stripe symbolizes the sun, prosperity and the wheat fields. The green stripe represents the country's forests and hope. The red stripe symbolizes the blood shed for independence, and the courage of the people.

The flag of Lithuania was adopted on March 20, 1989. Homeowners in Lithuania are required to fly the flag on Independence Day or the may get fined.

Luxembourg Flag

The Luxembourg flag was influenced by the French flag and was three stripes of red, white and blue. The stripes on the Luxembourg flag are horizontal and are of equal width. The colors of the flag were taken from the coat of arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Count Henry VI. The flag is similar to the flag of the Netherlands but there is no historical connection between the two countries.

The flag of Luxembourg was adopted on June 23, 1972.