The star on Chile’s national flag has five points. It is a white five-pointed star centered in the blue square, or canton, at the upper hoist side of the flag.
Chile officially adopted the current flag on 18 October 1817. The design has equal-height white and red horizontal bands, with the blue canton occupying the upper-left portion. The flag is popularly known as La Estrella Solitaria, or “The Lone Star.”
The star has connections to Chilean independence symbolism and to Mapuche traditions. Bernardo O’Higgins described it as the Star of Arauco, while the star’s association with Venus also reflects indigenous Mapuche imagery. Early designs and historical symbols can involve more elaborate or eight-pointed forms, but the star on the present national flag is five-pointed.