Flag of Mississippi

Proportions: 3:5 Mississippi Flag Description:
The flag of Mississippi consists of three equal width horizontal stripes. The top stripe is blue, the middle stripe is white and the bottom stripe is red. In the top left corner is a square featuring a navy blue saltire (diagonal cross) with 13 five-pointed white stars on a red base. The cross and box are outlined in white.

Mississippi Flag Meaning:
The red, white and blue are the national colors of the US. The flag shows influences from flags of the former Confederate States of America. The Mississippi Legislature states that the 13 stars on the flag represent the 13 original colonies of the United States. When the Confederate battle flag was used in the south it also included 13 stars, which represented the 13 states of the Confederacy.

Mississippi Flag History:
The basic design of the flag originated in 1894. The current flag dates from Sept. 6, 1996. Mississippi is the 20th state of the union, gaining statehood on Dec. 10, 1817. The overall look of the flag is similar to the Stars and Bars flag used by the Confederate States of America, in the mid-19th century. Mississippi flew the Stars and Bars after it seceded from the United States, in 1861, and joined the Confederacy. The upper left portion of the state flag featuring the blue saltire (diagonal cross) is based on the Confederate battle flag; the emblem is referred as the Union Square.

Interesting Mississippi Facts:
Mississippi's state nickname is the Magnolia State.