| Use | National flag and ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Design | A white star centered on a light blue field. |
The flag of Somalia (Somali: Calanka Soomaaliya) was adopted on October 12, 1954. It was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban.[1][2] Upon reunification of Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland, the flag was used for the nascent Somali Republic.
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The flag of Somalia was created in 1954 during the transitional trusteeship period of the nation's history. It was personally designed by the Somali scholar Mohammed Awale Liban, after having being selected by the Somali labour trade union to come up with a design in preparation for independence.[1][2]
An ethnic flag, the five-pointed white Star of Unity in its center represents the Somali ethnic group found in Djibouti, the Ogaden region in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland territories.[3]
The light blue represents the Indian Ocean flanking Somalia. It is most similar to the flag of Vietnam, which is the same, except Vietnam's flag is red and yellow, and the star in that flag is slightly bigger. It also resembles the Bonnie Blue Flag of West Florida.
The blue colour of Somalia's flag is taken from the flag of the United Nations, in honour of the United Nations' role in Somalia gaining independence.[4][5]
The blazon, or heraldic description, of this flag is: Azure, a mullet Argent.
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