<P> The Swiss 1 and 2 francs coins introduced in 1874 / 5 showed the figure of Helvetia surrounded by 22 stars, enumerating the Swiss cantons (in 1983 changed to 23 stars to reflect the creation of the canton of Jura). </P> <P> The green five - pointed star used as a symbol of Esperanto was first proposed in 1890 . </P> <P> The five - pointed Red Star as a symbol of communism was adopted during the Russian Civil War of 1917--1922 . Its origin is unknown . The red star is featured on the state emblem of the Soviet Union (1923) and North Korea (1948). Another variant is a yellow (golden) star on red background, as on the state emblem of Vietnam (1945) and the People's Republic of China (1949), as well as on the flags of most Communist countries . In the 1930s, red luminescent Kremlin stars were installed on five towers of the Moscow Kremlin, replacing gilded eagles that had symbolized Imperial Russia . Since then, it is customary to install similarly looking red stars atop New Year trees in the Soviet Union, a tradition that continues to this day in Russia . </P> <P> In the Emblem of Italy, adopted in 1947, the five - pointed star represents the "Star of Italy". </P>

Why are the stars on the american flag five pointed