Thursday, November 10, 2011

The National Ensign Of Liberia

By Claudia Smith


I have a special interesting in the Liberian flag. Liberia, for example, is a state located in Africa. The "American Colonization Society" very first settled it back in the 1800's. The country was in fact established to provide a new home for freed slaves, interestingly, who wished to return back to Africa from different other parts of the world.

Liberia became an independent country in 1847 and started hoisting an ensign from their respective flag poles that looked very similar to our Old Glory. Unlike the thirteen stripes on the U.S. national flag, the Liberian flag features eleven stripes, representing the eleven men who signed Liberia's declaration of independence. Also, and unlike the 50 stars on our national flag, the Liberian national ensign displays one five-pointed star on a blue field in the canton.

As I was told, the white star on the blue field represents the country's independence. Back in the day, it was the very first independence republic in (western) Africa. Ever since, the national ensign has served of a reminder of such to folks around the world. Displayed from Liberian flag poles in and out of Liberia, this flag displays beautifully.

In the state coat of arms, the dove with the scroll is a message of peace and goodwill. The rising sun, which is colored yellow, and the ship that is shown approaching the land, represent the birth of a new country. The plow and the hoe are said to symbolize the working of the land. The palm-tree symbolizes fertility. The inscription above reads: "the love of liberty brought us here." And the inscription below reads: "republic of Liberia."

Even though the republic has been around for a while, the country did not see much modernization till the 1940's, following substantial investments by the United States of America, during the Second World War. The republic was in fact a founding member of the United Nations. It has experienced a fair share of economical and political instability for a good number of years, unfortunately. Liberia did experience some growth some years ago, but the economy started declining as a result of bad economic management following the '80's coup.

Counting nearly three and a half million people in '08, most of these folks lived in Montserrado County, which is also home to the country's capital of Monrovia. Different industries have brought income to Liberians and include rubber plantations and offshore oil. The maritime industry has also provided the republic with additional economic support.

The national flag became recognized as such back in 1847. In or during the years before independence was granted to Liberia, a similar flag-design was maintained that featured a white cross instead of a white star, in the canton of the ensign. The cross was exchanged for the star during the events of 1847. Ever since the national ensign of the republic has remained unchanged. The Liberian flag for use with residential flagpoles is commonly made for sale by resellers throughout the nation.




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