Somalia Flag

What does the flag of Somalia look like? The Somali flag is light blue with a white five-pointed star in the middle.

Meaning of the Flag

Somalia has a pretty simple national flag design, but it has significance in its basic design. The primary feature of the Somali flag is the five-pointed star in the center. This star is known as the Star of Unity, and it represents the areas where Somalis resided. This includes Djibouti, the North Eastern Province of Kenya and southern Somalia. The color of the flag was originally inspired by the flag of the United Nations. However, the color of the field is now said to represent the Indian Ocean and the sky over the nation.

Colors of the Flag

Just two colors make up the design of the Somali flag. The flag mainly consists of a light blue background. This color was inspired by the flag of the United Nations, which helped the nation transition to independence. However, in more recent years, this color of blue is said to symbolize the surrounding Indian Ocean and the blue sky above. The other color used in the design of the flag is white, which is used for the five-pointed star centered on the flag. As previously mentioned, the points of the star represent the areas where native Somalis resided.

History of the Flag

Flags have been used in the area that is now Somalia since at least the 13th century. One of the earliest flags used was the flag of the Ajuran Empire, which was used from the 13th through 17th centuries. The flag of the Adal Sultanate was another early flag that was used from the early 1400s through the late 1500s. Additional flags that were used in the nation’s early history include the flag of Ottoman Zeila and the flag of the Dervish State. In the 20th century, the flag of British Somaliland was used through the 1960s, while the flag of Italian Somaliland was used from the mid 19th century through the mid 20th century. The current national flag was first adopted on October 12, 1954. The flag was created during the transitional trusteeship period and was designed to serve as a flag for the Somali people.

Flag Facts

The flag was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban.

The formal description – or blazon – of the flag is “Azure, a mullet Argent.”