Flag of Samoa

The flag of Samoa was first adopted from February 24, 1949 for UN Trusteeships, and continuously applied for the state's independence on January 1, 1962. It consists of a red field with a blue rectangle in the canton. The blue rectangle bears the constellation Southern Cross: four large white stars and one smaller star.

Historical flags

Prior to the First World War, Samoa was a colony of the German Empire. German colonies used the flag of the Imperial Colonial Office, a black-white-red tricolour defaced with the Imperial Eagle. The Imperial German government intended to introduce specific flags for the colonies (also based on the tricolour) and several proposals were created, but the war and the subsequent loss of all overseas territories prevented their official adoption. New Zealand occupied German Samoa in 1914 and officially gained control of the territory in 1919.

From the capture by New Zealand forces on August 29, 1914, a defaced ensign with three palm trees encircled, and emblazoned on the fly were used. The defaced Blue Ensign was used by vessels owned by the mandate government, or those operated in the government service, while the defaced Red Ensign was used by locally registered civilian ships.

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  Flag of the German Colonial Office.
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  The German colonial flag is raised, March 1, 1900.
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  First proposal for German Samoa's flag, never adopted.
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  Hoisting of the Union Jack, August 30, 1914.
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  The flag of New Zealand was used during the control of NZ-forces (1914–1920)
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  Official Blue Ensign of Western Samoa under Mandate with UK (December 17, 1920 – January 1, 1962)
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  Initial flag of Western Samoa that acquired but not approved (26 May 1948).
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  Flag of Western Samoa under Trusteeships with NZ (24 February 1949 – 1 January 1962)

External links

• Samoa at Flags of the World
• World Statesmen – Samoa