Panama’s flag has a quartered design containing two five-pointed stars.
The flag is divided into four rectangles: a white upper-left quarter with a blue star, a red upper-right quarter, a blue lower-left quarter, and a white lower-right quarter with a red star. The arrangement is deliberately asymmetrical, creating a distinctive pattern unlike the flags of nearby Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
Panama’s flag was designed around the time of the country’s separation from Colombia in 1903. María de la Ossa de Amador made the first flag, while Manuel Encarnación Amador is generally credited with drawing the design. The flag was officially adopted by law in 1925. Its colours also carried political meaning: blue represented the Conservative Party, red represented the Liberal Party, and white symbolized the peace in which the rival groups could work together.
The blue star traditionally represents purity and honesty in civic life. The red star represents authority and law. Panama celebrates Flag Day on November 4, one day after the country’s November 3 separation from Colombia.