The flag of the United States consists of 13 alternating horizontal stripes of equal width - seven are red and six are white. The red stripes are situated at the top and bottom. In the upper hoist-side corner (canton) there is a blue rectangle bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars. The stars are arranged in nine horizontal rows. The shape and flag ratio of the USA flag is described as 1:2 (length twice the height).
Meaning of the United States (American) Flag
The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies of the US: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia and the 50 stars represent the 50 states of the USA.
“Our flag carries American ideas, American history and American feelings. It is not a painted rag. It is a whole national history. It is the Constitution. It is the Government. It is the emblem of the sovereignty of the people. It is the NATION.” Henry Ward Beecher,1861".