Cedrus libani, the green cedar or the cedar of Lebanon, is immortalized in the Bible, as it is mentioned several times particularly in the building of God's Temple. For example Psalms 92:12 states "the righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon."
It was probably due to the reference of Lebanon's cedar in the Bible that the framers of the Constitution and the designers of the National Flag of Lebanon included it as the official symbol. The
Lebanon flag is formed by a central white stripe sandwiched by two horizontal red stripes (top and bottom), with the white stripe twice the width of the red stripe. The green cedar is strategically at the center of the white stripe and touches the red stripes and is one-third the width of the flag.
The Flag of Lebanon was officially adopted on December 7, 1943 by the Lebanese parliament. The red stripes symbolize blood, shed by Lebanese heroes during the struggle for liberation; the white stripe refers to peace and white snow on the Lebanese mountains; and the green cedar is for immortality and steadiness.
Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East and was granted independence in 1943. It was through the guidance of France that Lebanon prospered as a banking area, resort and university center. It was even touted that its capital Beirut would be the new Paris in the Middle East. From estimates (no official census was made) two-third of the resident population are Muslim and the rest being Christian.
Cultural differences led to a civil war between the Muslims and Christians from 1975 to 1991, a truce was in effect until democracy was restored in 1992.
by:
The Flagman
