| Federal Republic of Somalia | |
| Proportion: | 2:3 |
| Design: | A single white five-pointed star centered on a cyan field |
| Use: | 111111 |
| Designer: | Mohammed Awale Liban |
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]
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.
Public display of the Somali flag is strictly prohibited in Somaliland.[6] [7]
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.[11]
| Blue | White | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| RGB | 65/143/222 | 255/255/255 | |
| Hexadecimal | #418FDE | #FFFFFF | |
| CMYK | 71/36/0/13 | 0/0/0/0 |
The following are the flags historically used in the territory of present-day Somalia:[12]