Flag of Somalia
A light blue flag with one large white five-pointed star in the middle.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 12, 1954chosen in 1954 under UN trusteeship; became the flag of independent Somalia in 1960
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- light blue
- white
What it means
- Light blue: first chosen to honour the United Nations, which helped Somalia toward independence; today it is officially said to stand for the sky and the seas around Somalia
- White: peace and prosperity, according to the designer
- Five-pointed star: the five areas where Somali people live: Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, the Somali Region of Ethiopia and northern Kenya
Where it came from
The flag was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban, a Somali scholar and member of the legislative council. The council was stuck choosing between party flags, so he proposed this new design, and it was approved on 12 October 1954. Council members are said to have applauded when he showed it.
History
In the 1950s southern Somalia was a United Nations trust territory run by Italy, while the north was British Somaliland. The blue flag first flew for the south. When British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 and joined the south on 1 July 1960, the flag became the flag of the whole Somali Republic.
Somalia celebrates 26 June as Flag Day. The 1979 and 2012 constitutions both describe the same blue flag with a white star.
Fun facts
- The flag stands for the Somali people as a whole, not just one country, because of the star's five points.
- Somali women sometimes wear dresses printed with the flag on national holidays.
- The flag is older than the country: it was chosen almost six years before independence.
- In the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, showing this flag in public has been banned since 1991.
Easy to mix up with
Vietnam: Vietnam also has one big five-pointed star in the middle, but it is yellow on red
Questions
What does the flag of Somalia look like?
A light blue flag with one large white five-pointed star in the middle.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Somalia mean?
Light blue: first chosen to honour the United Nations, which helped Somalia toward independence; today it is officially said to stand for the sky and the seas around Somalia; White: peace and prosperity, according to the designer; Five-pointed star: the five areas where Somali people live: Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, the Somali Region of Ethiopia and northern Kenya.
When was the flag of Somalia adopted?
The current flag of Somalia was adopted on October 12, 1954. (chosen in 1954 under UN trusteeship; became the flag of independent Somalia in 1960)
What colours are on the flag of Somalia?
The flag of Somalia uses light blue and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Somalia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Vietnam. Vietnam also has one big five-pointed star in the middle, but it is yellow on red
Famous landmarks in Somalia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)