Extra Symbolism

There is even more symbolism in this flag! In relation to the three bars at the bottom of the flag:

The number 3 itself is a reference to:

• Institutions of higher education: College of Charleston, Medical University of South Carolina, and the Citadel
• Major rivers that feed Charleston Harbor: the Wando, Cooper, and Ashley
• Main religions practiced in the city: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam 
• Areas of land around the city: west of the Ashley, the Charleston Peninsula, and east of the Cooper.