The flag of Lebanon is quite unique, it’s one of the few flags in the world with a tree on it. In this case it’s the Cedar tree of Lebanon. The only other countries with trees on their flags are Belize, Haiti, Equatorial Guinea and Fiji.
The cedar tree is the pride of all Lebanese. It is mentioned in the Christian Bible more than 60 times and also plays an important part in the founding of the Lebanese nation. The Phoenicians apparently built their ships from the cedar trees.
The tree itself is an imposing evergreen that is actually only found in a small part of the country, which is a very popular tourist destination. A funny fact is that there are actually significantly more Lebanese cedars in Turkey than there are in Lebanon.
As for the rest of the flag, the two red stripes represent the blood that has been shed, of which there has been a lot, defeating foreign invaders and those wishing to destroy the Lebanese state. The white, like on most flags, represents peace and purity.
The current flag has been the flag of Lebanon since independence was declared in 1943, however the cedar has been used on previous flags including the French Mandate of Lebanon and during the Ottoman empire.
