Several national flags combine stars and stripes: the United States, Liberia, Malaysia, Uruguay, Togo, Cuba, and Chile all pair star motifs with horizontal or vertical stripes. Liberia's flag is directly modelled on the US Stars and Stripes, while others developed the combination independently to represent unity, statehood, and independence.
The Stars-and-Stripes Combination
Stripes and stars are two of the most common elements in flag design, but relatively few flags feature both together in the iconic "stars and stripes" arrangement. Stripes typically represent founding regions, provinces, or ideals, while stars often stand for states, unity, or guiding principles. When a flag uses both, it usually tells a layered story about how a nation was formed and what it aspires to.
The most famous example is of course the flag of the United States, but the pattern appears on several continents, sometimes through direct influence and sometimes through independent invention.
National Flags With Stars and Stripes
- United States: Thirteen red and white horizontal stripes for the original thirteen colonies, with fifty white stars on a blue canton for the fifty states. Adopted in 1777 and revised as new states joined, it is the archetypal stars-and-stripes flag.
- Liberia: Eleven red and white stripes with a single white star on a blue canton. The design is deliberately modelled on the US flag because Liberia was founded in the 1820s by freed African Americans. The eleven stripes represent the signatories of its declaration of independence, and the lone star gives Liberia its nickname, the "Lone Star" country.
- Malaysia: Fourteen red and white horizontal stripes with a blue canton containing a yellow crescent and a fourteen-pointed star. The stripes and star points represent the thirteen states and the federal government. Its resemblance to the US flag is often noted, though it developed from its own regional heritage.
- Uruguay: Nine white and blue horizontal stripes for the nine original departments, with a golden Sun of May in the white canton. While the emblem is a sun rather than a star, the striped field with a bright canton motif places it firmly in this family.
- Togo: Five green and yellow horizontal stripes with a single white five-pointed star on a red canton. The five stripes represent the five regions of the country, and the white star stands for hope and purity. The layout closely echoes the stars-and-stripes concept.
- Cuba: Five blue and white horizontal stripes with a single white star inside a red triangle at the hoist. The three blue stripes and two white stripes represent the historical divisions of the island, and the lone star symbolises independence.
- Chile: A white and red flag with a blue canton bearing a single white star. The white and red form two bands rather than many stripes, but the canton-and-star arrangement strongly parallels the US design; the star represents a guide to progress and honour.
The Greece Exception: Stripes and a Cross
Greece is sometimes mentioned alongside these flags because it has nine blue and white stripes, but its canton holds a white cross rather than a star. It is a striped flag, and a beautiful one, but not truly a stars-and-stripes design. It is worth including as a clarification: the stripes are there, but the star is not.
The United States and Liberia Connection
The clearest link within this group is between the United States and Liberia. Liberia was established as a colony for freed and formerly enslaved African Americans by the American Colonization Society, and it declared independence in 1847. Its founders modelled the new nation's institutions — including its flag — on those of the United States. That is why Liberia's flag looks so similar: red and white stripes and a blue canton, but with a single star instead of fifty and eleven stripes instead of thirteen. It is the most direct case of one national flag being inspired by another in this entire category.
The other flags reached the stars-and-stripes combination on their own paths. Cuba, Chile, and Uruguay all emerged from Latin American independence movements in the 19th century, while Malaysia and Togo developed their designs in the 20th century around their own regional and national symbolism.
Quick Questions
Which flags have stars and stripes besides the USA?
Liberia, Malaysia, Togo, Cuba, and Chile all combine star motifs with stripes, and Uruguay pairs stripes with a sun emblem. Liberia's flag is the most similar to the US flag because the country was founded by freed African Americans.
Why does Liberia's flag look like the American flag?
Liberia was founded in the 1820s by freed African Americans and declared independence in 1847. Its founders modelled the country's flag on the US Stars and Stripes, using red and white stripes with a blue canton, but with a single star and eleven stripes.
Is the Greek flag a stars-and-stripes flag?
No. Greece has nine blue and white stripes, but its canton contains a white cross rather than a star. It is a striped flag with a cross, not a true stars-and-stripes design.