What does the Arizona state flag mean? From the colors to the history, here's what to know

For more than 100 years, the Arizona state flag has been a symbol of cultural exchange and industrial prosperity, showcasing the history of the state through its rich color palette and iconography.

In 1910, a man known as Col. Charles Wilfred Harris created the design of the flag. Being a member of the Arizona National Guard, Harris served as the captain of his unit's rifle team for the National Rifle Matches, a shooting competition.

According to azlibrary.gov, the Arizona National Guard was the nation's only team in the competition without an emblem. After years without representation, Harris drew up a temporary banner for the 1911 match against Ohio. It eventually became the official state flag for Arizona in 1917, the site stated.

Here's what to know about Arizona's flag.

When did Arizona adopt its flag?

Five years after statehood, Arizona adopted Harris' design as the official state flag in February 1917. However, the flag wasn't unveiled to the public until many months later, according to arizonahighways.com, an official source for Arizona travel information.

In September of that year, the Arizona state government officially presented the flag to the public when it became authorized through state legislation, the website stated. According to the source, there was some initial dissension among the Legislature regarding the flag's legal recognition, including a decline to sign the bill into law from the Arizona governor at the time, Thomas Edward Campbell.

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What is the meaning of the Arizona state flag?

The state flag is divided horizontally into two equal parts, with the upper section representing the original 13 colonies while the lower half symbolizes the nation as a whole, as well as other regional areas, according to Arizona Highways. In the center, a star represents Arizona's copper industry.

According to gettysburgflag.com, a company that creates custom flags and banners, the Arizona state flag, "combines symbols of the region's colonial past with colors that represent its modern allegiances," which helps create an image that embodies the spirit of the state, the site said.

What are the rays on the Arizona flag?

In addition to representing the colonies, the rays on the state flag also signify the western setting sun, according to the official governor's website. The region's Spanish heritage and cultural influence can also be identified in the rays, Arizona Highways stated.

What does the star mean on the flag?

Historically a mining state, Arizona is the country's largest producer of copper, generating 68% of the mineral across the U.S., according to a mining project website known as Resolution Copper. The large, copper-colored star in the flag's center represents the importance of the copper industry to the Grand Canyon state, the site stated.

What colors are on the flag and what do they mean?

The dark blue portion on the bottom half of the state flag mirrors the blue on the U.S. flag, Arizona Highways stated. The shade also echoes imagery of the Colorado River, that runs across the northern portion of the state, Gettysburg Flag Works added. It is also mentioned that the color serves as a "blue field" to contrast with the setting sun imagery and copper star above it.

The 13 alternating red and yellow rays have come to symbolize a multitude of meanings, which include evoking America's 13 original colonies, a backdrop of a setting sun over the desert and a visual representation of the Spanish explorers who first came to the region in the 16th century, Arizona Highways and Gettysburg Flag Works stated.

Arizona flag made of Legos

The Arizona Capitol Museum features an Arizona flag made entirely of Legos. The flag, which is more than 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide, is made of 113,998 blocks — the same number of square miles in the state.

The dark red and blue pieces were custom colors and were shipped from Denmark just for the unique flag.

Is there an Arizona flag emoji?

While there is currently not an Arizona flag emoji on Apple or Android devices at this time, emoji icons of the state flag can be downloaded from various emoji creation websites.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona state flag: What it means and when it was adopted