Flag of Somalia
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Flag adopted
- 1954
- Population
- 19,655,000
- Area
- 637,657 km²
- Languages
- Arabic, Somali
- Currency
- Somali shilling (Sh) — SOS
- Demonym
- Somali
- Government
- federal parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Eastern Africa
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+03:00
- Independence
- 1960
Religions
- Muslim 99.9%
- ethnic religionist 0.1%
About This Flag
The flag of Somalia is a solid light blue field with a large white five-pointed star in the center. Adopted on October 12, 1954, during the Italian-administered Trust Territory period, it was designed by scholar Mohammed Awale Liban.
The light blue originally referenced the United Nations, which oversaw the trusteeship that led to independence in 1960. The white star's five points represent the five regions historically inhabited by ethnic Somalis: Italian Somaliland, British Somaliland, French Somaliland (Djibouti), the Ogaden in Ethiopia, and the North Eastern Province of Kenya.
What the colors & design mean
Light blue originally honored the United Nations and now also represents the sky and the Indian Ocean. The white five-pointed star symbolizes Somali unity across the five historic Somali-inhabited territories of the Horn of Africa.
Pattern: Solid Field
Bordering countries (3)
Fun Facts
- Somalia has the longest coastline of any mainland African country, stretching approximately 3,025 kilometers along the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
- The ancient port city of Mogadishu was a major hub on the Indian Ocean trade network for over a thousand years.
- Frankincense and myrrh have been harvested in the Somali region for millennia — the ancient Egyptians called it the 'Land of Punt.'
- Somali camels number in the millions, giving the country one of the largest camel populations in the world.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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