The national flag of Somalia was adopted on October 12, 1954, and was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban. The flag was initially used within the Trust Territory of Somaliland[1] before being adopted by the short-lived State of Somaliland and the Somali Republic. It is an ethnic flag for the Somali people; the flag's five-pointed star represents the five regions in which Somalis reside.[2]
 | |
| Use | National flag and ensign  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 12 October 1954 |
| Design | A single white five-pointed star centered on a cyan field |
| Designed by | Mohammed Awale Liban |
History
Beginning in the mid-19th century, areas in the Horn of Africa populated by Somalis were divided among Ethiopia, France, Britain, and Italy. Soon after the creation of the UN Trust Territory of Somaliland during 1950, the Somali Youth League persistently advocated for the creation of a national flag. This was rejected by Italian administrators of the Trusteeship until 1954, when a debate was opened in the territorial council. The SYL, being the most popular political organization in the country initially sought to use the Leagues flag but was rejected outright by rival parties. A deadlock ensued until it was broken by the Somali scholar Mohammed Awale Liban who suggested a different symbol from the ones proposed.[3] Liban personally conceived of and designed the flag,[4][5] and was also used in the short-lived independent State of Somaliland between 26 June 1960 and 1 July 1960.
In Somaliland
Public display of the Somali flag is strictly prohibited in Somaliland.[6][7]
Characteristics
As an ethnic flag, the five-pointed white Star of Unity in its center represents the areas where the Somali ethnic group form the majority: Djibouti, Somaliland (former British protectorate), the Somali region in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and Somalia (Italian Somaliland).[8][9] However, the flag does not represent all the Somali regions anymore, going from an ethnic flag to the national flag of Somalia only. It now officially denotes the sky as well as the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel and the Somali Sea, which flank the country.[10] The blue color of the flag was selected in tribute to the United Nations who helped to form the country of Somalia during its status as a trust territory from 1950–1960.[4][11]
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Somali woman wearing a Somali flag dress. -
Somali women at a Khatumo State launch ceremony wearing the Somali flag.
Colors
|
|
Blue | White |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | 65/143/222 |
255/255/255
|
| Hexadecimal | #418FDE |
#FFFFFF
|
| CMYK | 71/36/0/13 |
0/0/0/0
|
Historical flags
The following are the flags historically used in the territory of present-day Somalia:[12]
Pre-colonial states
-
Flag of the Ajuran Empire (13th century–17th century) -
Flag of the Adal Sultanate (1415–1577) -
Religious banner of the Isaaq Sultanate derived from an Adal Sultanate flag (1700s–1884)
_flag_according_to_1576_Portuguese_map.svg)
Italian Somalia
-
Flag of Italian Somaliland (1889–1941) -
Flag of Italian Somaliland under british occupation (1884-1960) -
Official flag of Trust Territory of Somaliland (1950–1960) -
flag of the UN (1950–1960) -
Co-official/secondary flag of Trust Territory of Somaliland (1954–1960)
_crowned.svg)
.svg)
British Somaliland
-
Flag of the United Kingdom used in British Somaliland (1884–1903) -
Flag of the British Raj used in British Somaliland (1884–1898) -
Flag of British Somaliland (1903–1950) -
Flag of British Somaliland (1950–1952) -
Flag of British Somaliland (1952–1960) -
Flag of State of Somaliland (26 June 1960 – 1 July 1960)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
Subnational flags
Federal Member States
-
-
-
-
-
Flag of Somaliland (claimed) -
-
-
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
See also
- List of Somali flags
- Flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Flag of Djibouti
- Flag of Somaliland
- Flag of Israel
- Flag of Kosovo
- Soomaaliyeey toosoo
- Qolobaa Calankeed
- History of Somalia
- History of Somaliland
- Flag of Morocco, a nearly similar flag
- Flag of Vietnam, a similar flag
- Bonnie Blue Flag, a similar flag
- Flag of the Republic of West Florida
- Flag of Minnesota
Notes
- ^ "Somalia". www.fotw.info.
- ^ "Somali Embassy in Belgium – Somali Flag". 2014-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ Hussein, Abdirizak Haji (2017). Cabdisalaam M. Ciisa-Salwe (ed.). Abdirazak Haji Hussein: my role in the foundation of the Somali nation-state, a political memoir. Trenton: The Red Sea Press. pp. 97–98. ISBN 978-1-56902-531-4.
- ^ a b History of the flag
- ^ Maria Costantino, The Illustrated Flag Handbook, (Gramercy Books: 2001), p.185.
- ^ "Somaliland's Horn Stars band arrested over Somali flag". BBC News. 28 September 2015.
- ^ "Africa Live: Banned Nigerian athletes hold protest in Tokyo". BBC News.
- ^ Znamierowski, Alfred (1999). The World Encyclopedia of Flags. Anness. p. 222. ISBN 0-7548-0167-5.
- ^ Talocci, Mauro (1982). Smith, Whitney (ed.). Guide to the Flags of the World. Morrow. p. 131. ISBN 0-688-01141-1.
- ^ "The World Factbook – Somalia". Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ "Question of the frontier between the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian administration and Ethiopia" (PDF). UN General Assembly. 14 December 1954.
- ^ "Somalia". www.worldstatesmen.org.