The flag of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

( so, Calanka Soomaaliyeed, ar, علم الصومال), also known as the Somali flag, was adopted on October 12, 1954, and was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban. The flag was initially used within the

Trust Territory of Somaliland The Trust Territory of Somaliland, officially the "Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian administration" ( it, Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia), was a United Nations Trust Territory situated in present-day Somalia. Its c ...

before being adopted by the short-lived

State of Somaliland The State of Somaliland (, ) was a short-lived independent country in the territory of present-day unilaterally declared Republic of Somaliland. It existed on the territory of former British Somaliland for five days between 26 June 1960 and 1 ...

and the

Somali Republic The Somali Republic ( so, Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliyeed; it, Repubblica Somala; ar, الجمهورية الصومالية, Jumhūriyyat aṣ-Ṣūmālīyyah) was a sovereign state composed of Somalia and Somaliland, following the unification o ...

. It is an

ethnic flag An ethnic flag is a flag that symbolizes a certain ethnic group. Ethnic flags are often introduced to the ethnic community through the respective cultural or political ethnic movements. They are popular among diasporas, ethnic minorities, and some ...

for the

Somali people The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mo ...

; the flag's five-pointed star represents the five regions in which Somalis reside.

History

Somaliland Flying for the first time The White and Blue Somali Flag at the Independence Celebrations on 26 June 1960

Beginning in the mid-19th century, areas in the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004 ...

populated by Somalis were divided among Ethiopia, France, Britain, and Italy. The flag of Somalia was created in 1954 for the transitional trusteeship period of the nation's history. It was personally designed by the Somali scholar Mohammed Awale Liban, who was from the northern eastern side of Somalia after being selected to come up with a design in preparation for independence.History of the flag
/ref>Maria Costantino, The Illustrated Flag Handbook, (Gramercy Books: 2001), p.185. The flag was also used in the short-lived independent

between 26 June 1960 and 1 July 1960.

In Somaliland

The Somali flag is strictly prohibited in

Somaliland Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...

Characteristics

As an

, the five-pointed white ''Star of Unity'' in its center represents the areas where the

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...

ethnic group form the majority:

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

(former British protectorate), the

Somali region The Somali Region ( so, Deegaanka Soomaalida, am, ሱማሌ ክልል, Sumalē Kilil, ar, المنطقة الصومالية), also known as Soomaali Galbeed (''Western Somalia'') and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional stat ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

, the North Eastern Province in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, and

(Italian Somaliland). 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 The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Chann ...

Guardafui Channel The Guardafui Channel ( so, Marinka Gardafuul) is an oceanic strait off the tip of the Horn of Africa that lies between the Puntland region of Somalia and Socotra to the west of the Arabian Sea. It connects the Gulf of Aden to the north with the ...

and the

Somali Sea Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali, ...

, which flank the country. File:Somohralhd1a.png, Somali woman wearing a Somali flag dress. File:Khatumohd5.png,

women at a

Khatumo State Khatumo State ( so, Khaatumo; ar, ولاية خاتمة, translit=wilāyat khātimah), officially the Khatumo State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Khaatumo ee Soomaaliya), was a successor to the SSC Movement. Centred on the Sool, Sanaag re ...

launch ceremony wearing the Somali flag.

Construction

The flag of Somalia can be reproduced using the following construction plan: Flag of Somalia (construction)

Colours scheme

Historical flags

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

Pre-colonial states

File:Muzzaffar (Mogadishu area) flag according to 1576 Portuguese map.svg, Flag of the

Ajuran Empire The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in th ...

(13th century–17th century) File:Flag of Adal Sultanate.svg, Flag of the

Adal Sultanate The Adal Sultanate, or the Adal Empire or the ʿAdal or the Bar Saʿad dīn (alt. spelling ''Adel Sultanate, ''Adal ''Sultanate'') () was a medieval Sunni Muslim Empire which was located in the Horn of Africa. It was founded by Sabr ad-Din II ...

(1415–1577) File:Flag of Ottoman Empire (1517-1793).svg, Flag of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

(1559–1793) File:Om 1958.gif, Flag of the

Omani Empire The Omani Empire ( ar, الإمبراطورية العُمانية) was a maritime empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for trade and influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control ...

(1700–1856) File:Isaaq Flag.svg, Religious banner of the

Isaaq Sultanate The Isaaq Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Isaaq, Wadaad writing, Wadaad: , ar, السلطنة الإسحاقية) was a Somali people, Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. It spanned the territorie ...

derived from an Adal Sultanate flag (1700s–1884) File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire (eight pointed star).svg, Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1793–1844) File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1922).svg, Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1884) File:Flag of Muhammad Ali.svg, Flag of the

Khedivate of Egypt The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ota, خدیویت مصر ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which br ...

(1874–1881) File:Flag of Egypt (1882-1922).svg, Flag of the Khedivate of Egypt (1881–1884)

Italian Somalia

File:Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg, Flag of

Italian Somaliland Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...

(1889–1941) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg, Flag of Italian Somaliland under British occupation (1941–1950) File:Flag of Italy.svg, Official flag of

(1950–1960) File:Flag of the United Nations.svg, flag of the UN (1950–1960) File:Flag of Somalia.svg, Co-official/secondary flag of

(1954–1960)

British Somaliland

File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg,

Flag of the United Kingdom The national flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Jack, also known as the Union Flag. The design of the Union Jack dates back to the Act of Union 1801 which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in per ...

used in

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somalia, French So ...

(1884–1903) File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg, Flag of the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

used in

(1884–1898) File:Flag of British Somaliland (1903–1950).svg, Flag of

(1903–1950) File:Flag of British Somaliland (1950–1952).svg, Flag of

(1950–1952) File:Flag of British Somaliland (1952–1960).svg, Flag of

(1952–1960) File:Flag of State of Somaliland.svg, alt=flag of somalia, Flag of

(26 June 1960 – 1 July 1960)

Subnational flags

Federal member states

File:Flag of Mogadishu, Somalia.svg, Flag of

Banaadir Banaadir ( so, Banaadir, ar, بنادر, it, Benadir) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southeastern Somalia. It covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu, which serves as the capital. It is bordered to the northwest by the Shabel ...

File:New Flag of Galmudug State of Somalia.svg, Flag of

Galmudug Galmudug ( ar, جلمدج; it, Galmudugh), officially Galmudug State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Galmudug ee Soomaaliya), is a Federal Member State in central Somalia, with its capital at Dhusamareb. It is bordered to the north by the Pu ...

File:Hirshabeelle.png, Flag of

Hirshabelle Hirshabelle, officially Hirshabelle State of Somalia (Somali: ''Dowlad Goboleedka Hirshabelle ee Soomaaliya''), is a Federal Member State in south-central Somalia. It is bordered by Galmudug state of Somalia to the north, South West State o ...

File:Flag of Jubaland (Somalia).svg, Flag of

Jubaland Jubaland ( so, Jubbaland, ar, , it, Oltregiuba), the Juba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubba) or Azania ( so, Asaaniya, ar, ), is a Federal Member State in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies east of the Jubba River, stretching from Gedo ...

File:Flag of Puntland.svg, Flag of

Puntland Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...

File:Flag of Southwestern Somalia.svg, Flag of

South West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Somalia, Flag of

Flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

Flags of Africa Flags introduced in 1954 Somali culture National flags Flags of Somalia 1954 establishments in Somalia