The Secret History Behind Somalia's Flag
Somalia's flag is a single star, and each of its five points is a place.
The flag was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban and adopted on October 12, 1954, first for the Trust Territory of Somaliland. The Somali Republic kept it when it became independent in 1960.
It is a white five-pointed star on a sky-blue field. The five points are read as the five regions where Somalis live: the former British and Italian Somaliland, Djibouti, the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, and the North Eastern Province of Kenya.
The date printed on every Somalia design in our catalog, July 1, 1960, is the day Somalia became independent and its two parts joined.
One star, five points and a very simple flag.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.