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The flag of Detroit, Michigan, is divided into 4 sections, blue with 13 stars, red with 3 golden silhouettes of lions, white with 5 fleur-de-lis, and 13 red and white stripes, all separated by golden lines, with a stylized version of the city's seal in the center.

Symbolism[]

The seal commemorates the great fire of 1805, which destroyed Detroit. The top-left and bottom-right quarters of the flag represent Detroit governed by the United States, using components of the United States flag. The top-right quarter symbolizes the British control of the city using the English symbol of three lions. The bottom-left quarter indicates the French founding of Detroit using the fleur-de-lis symbols of the French monarchy.

Former flags[]

There has been multiple different forms of the Detroit flag, ever since 1948, but the concept has always been a constant. In 1972, the design's colors were brightened, and the seal was simplified. In 1976, the seal was simplified, and yellow borders were given to every frame of the flag. Finally in 2000, the seal was modified.

The 1976 flag was given a score of 4.17 in the 2004 NAVA City Flag Survey, and was ranked in 70th place, beating cities like Columbus, Grand Forks and Harrisburg. The flag was still below Miami.

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