Flag History
In 1912, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) wanted to commemorate a new U.S. battleship, called the Arkansas, by presenting it with three flags - the U.S. flag, a naval battle flag and the Arkansas state flag. But Arkansas didn't have a flag yet. Through a design competition, Miss Willie Hocker became the flag's creator. Her original design showed only three stars, recalling that Arkansas was one of three states formed from the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 from France. The state name was added later, as was the upper blue star, which represents the Confederacy. The diamond shape acknowledges that Arkansas is home to the only known diamond mine in the United States. The 25 stars surrounding it symbolize that Arkansas was the 25 state.
Flag Adopted: 1913
State Nickname: The Land of Opportunity
State Motto: The people rule
Area: 58,187 square miles
Approximate Population: 2.3 million
Capital: Little Rock
Largest City: Little Rock
