Flag of Somalia

Federal Republic of Somalia

Use	National flag and ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	October 1, 1960
Design	A single white five-pointed star centered on a light blue field.
Designed by	Mohammed Awale Liban

The Flag of Somalia (Somali: Calanka Soomaaliya, Arabic: علم الصومال‎‎), also known as the Somali Flag, is the official flag of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Adopted on October 12, 1954, it was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban the flag was used for the nascent Somali Republic. It was originally conceived and serves as an ethnic flag for the Somali people.^[1]

History

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 he had been selected by the Somali labour trade union to come up with a design in preparation for independence.^[2][3] The flag was first used in the Trust Territory of Somaliland and the short-lived, which united on July 1, 1960, to form the Somali Republic.

Characteristics

Somali woman wearing a Somali flag dress.

Somali women at a Khatumo State launch ceremony wearing the Somali flag.

As an ethnic flag, the five-pointed white Star of Unity in its center represents the Somali ethnic group found in Djibouti, (Somaliland, former British protectorate) Ogaden region in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and( southern Somalia, former Italian colonial. The Somali flag's light blue backdrop was originally influenced by the flag of the United Nations, in recognition of the UN's role in Somalia's transition to independence during the trusteeship period.^[4][5] However, it now officially denotes the sky as well as the Indian Ocean, which flanks the country.^[6]

The flag's blazon, or heraldic description, is: Azure, a mullet Argent.

Construction

The flag of Somalia can be faithfully reproduced using the following construction plan:

Construction sheet

Historical flags

The following are the flags historically used in the territory of present-day Somalia:

• 

  Flag of the Adal Sultanate (1415–1577)

• 

  Flag of the Ajuran Empire (13th century–17th century)

• 

  Flag of Ottoman Zeila (1559–1867)

• 

  Flag of the Dervish State (1896–1920) (1903-1950)

• 

  Flag of British Somaliland (1903-1950)

• 

  Flag of British Somaliland (1950–60)

• 

  Flag of Italian Somaliland (1861-1946)

See also

• Flag of Somaliland
• Soomaaliyeey toosoo
• Qolobaa Calankeed
• History of Somalia
• Bonnie Blue Flag

Notes

1. "Somalia Flag". World Atlas. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
2. History of the flag
3. Maria Costantino, The Illustrated Flag Handbook, (Gramercy Books: 2001), p.185.
4. Znamierowski, Alfred. The World Encyclopedia of Flags. p. 222. ISBN 0-7548-0167-5.
5. Talocci, Mauro. Smith, Whitney, ed. Guide to the Flags of the World. p. 131. ISBN 0-688-01141-1.
6. "The World Factbook - Somalia". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 July 2012.

References

• Somalia at Flags of the World