Adopted in 1952. The flag was originally created in 1895 during a time of advocacy for Puerto Rican and Cuban independence from Spain. The flag of Puerto Rico has five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white. A blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center. The white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government. Blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters. Red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace. (ref: CIA World Factbook) The government of Puerto Rico specifies the flag colors to be used but, does not specify official tones or shades, hence various shades of blue are produced.