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The flag of Arkansas consists on a diamond on a red field, representing Arkansas' diamond mines. The twenty five white stars around the border of the diamond represents Arkansas' position as the 25th state to join the union; the four stars inside the diamond represent the nations to which Arkansas has belonged: Spain, France, the United States, and the Confederate States of America. The flag seems to bear striking resemblance to the Confederate Flag.
The flag was designed by Miss Willie Hocker of Wabbaseka, Arkansas. Around 1911, the Pine Bluff, Arkansas chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) wished to present a state flag for the commisioning of the battleship USS Arkansas. Since Arkansas did not have a state flag at the time, the DAR held a competition for flag designs. Hocker, a member of the DAR, won with a design similar to the present, except without the word "ARKANSAS" and with only three stars, representing France, Spain and the U.S., in a horizontal line across the center. The judging committee of the DAR added the state name and place one star above the name and two below. This flag was adopted by the legislature on February 26, 1913. In 1923, the legislature added a fourth star, respresenting the Confederate States of America. This fourth star was originally placed so that there were two stars above the state name and two below, but in 1924, the legislature again changed the flag to the present design.
External link
History and meaning of the Arkansas state flag (http://www.fotw.net/flags/us-ar.html#story)
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