Puerto Rico's official flag was adopted in 1952 (on the same day that Puerto Rico became a commonweath). The origins of Puerto Rico's flag are uncertain. There are two competing beliefs; some people think that it was created by Manuel de Besosa and sewn by his daughter, Mima; others think that it was designed by Antonia Velez Alvarado and made by Micaela Dalmau de Carreras.
The flag has 5 equal horizontal bands of red and white (the top and bottom bands are red); a blue isosceles triangle anchored on the hoist side has a large white star. The red symbolizes blood, the white symbolizes individual liberty and the rights , and the blue triangle symbolizes the three branches of the republican government (and also the sky and coastal waters of this beautiful Caribbean island).