There are currently 27 stars on the flag of Brazil. The stars appear inside the blue celestial globe and represent Brazil’s 26 states plus its Federal District.
Brazil first adopted the republican design on November 19, 1889, when a blue starry globe replaced the imperial coat of arms. The arrangement is based on the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of November 15, 1889, the date Brazil became a republic. The Southern Cross is one of the most recognizable constellations shown, while Spica appears alone above the white band and represents Pará.
The number has changed as Brazil’s political divisions changed. The original republican flag had 21 stars; later additions brought the total to 22 in 1960 and 23 in 1968. Four more stars were added in 1992 for Amapá, Roraima, Rondônia, and Tocantins, producing the current total of 27. The white band carries the motto “Ordem e Progresso,” or “Order and Progress.”