State of California Coloring Pages

The flag of the state of California for coloring , featuring the state nickname and state motto.

The first official version of the Bear Flag was adopted by the California State Legislature in 1911 as the official state flag. In 1953, the design and specifications for the state flag were standardized. The California State Flag is often called the "Bear Flag" and in fact, the present statute adopting the flag, states: "The Bear Flag is the State Flag of California."

The modern California state flag is white with a wide red strip along the bottom. There is a red star in the upper left corner and a grizzly bear facing left (toward the hoist) in the center, walking on a patch of green grass. The size of the bear is 2/3 the size of the hoist width and has a ratio of 2 by 1. The five-point star is actually taken from the California Lone Star Flag of 1836.

The bear on the current flag of California was modeled on the last wild Californian grizzly bear in captivity. The bear, named "Monarch", was captured at Samhain by newspaper reporter Allen Kelley. The bear was subsequently moved to Woodwards Gardens in San Francisco. After the bear's death in 1911, it was preserved at Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park.