The flag of the Somali Republic was officially approved as a state symbol in 1960 when the country became a member of the United Nations.
Description and proportions of the flag of Somalia
The Somalia flag has the classic shape of a quadrangle, the length of which relates to its width in a 3: 2 ratio. The main field of the flag is bright blue. In its center is a white five-pointed star. The blue background on the flag of Somalia is a tribute of respect and gratitude to the UN, with the help of which the country managed to gain independence and sovereignty from Italy, under whose protectorate the state of Somalia was since the end of the 19th century.
The five star-rays on the Somali flag indicate the five historical regions inhabited by the Somali tribes. These are the former colonies of British and Italian Somalia and the countries of Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.
The white five-pointed star on a blue background is the basis of the coat of arms of Somalia. It is a heraldic shield, the field of which repeats the flag of Somalia. The shield is outlined with a golden border, above its top is a golden crown. On the sides, the shield is supported by two leopards standing on their hind legs. They rest on crossed spears and palm leaves.
History of the flag of Somalia
The modern state flag of Somalia is completely identical to the banner that served as a symbol of Italian Somalia and was approved back in 1954. Today the country is divided into several territories, of which the federal government controls just over half. In the rest of the area, there are state formations that obey their own laws and have their own symbols.
The flags of the Galmudug and Northland entities are completely identical to the flag of Somalia.
The flag of Puntland is a tricolor with three horizontal stripes of equal width and different colors. The upper stripe is blue with a white five-pointed star in the center. The middle field is white and the bottom of the Puntland State flag is green.
In the Somaliland tricolor formation, the tricolor has dark green, white and dark red stripes. An Islamic slogan is inscribed on the upper green field, the middle white field contains a black five-pointed star, and the lower part is dark red.
The state formation of Jubaland in Somalia has a flag divided vertically into two equal fields. The part of the flag closest to the flagpole is bright red, and the free edge is light green. In the center of the cloth, at the border of the two parts of the flag, a white five-pointed star is applied.
