Flag of Samoa

Meaning and history of the flag of Samoa

The flag of Samoa has a red field with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist canton bearing the Southern Cross constellation, represented by five white five-pointed stars. Four of the stars are larger and one is smaller, reflecting the actual relative brightness of the stars in the constellation.

Adopted on February 24, 1949, ahead of independence from New Zealand in 1962, the original flag had only four stars, with the fifth added that same year. Red is a traditional Samoan color associated with courage and bravery. Blue represents freedom and the Pacific Ocean surrounding the islands. The five stars of the Southern Cross mark Samoa's geographic position in the Southern Hemisphere and symbolize its ties to other Pacific nations. Unlike the flags of Australia and New Zealand, which also display the Southern Cross, Samoa's flag does not include the British Union Jack, reflecting its history as a territory under New Zealand administration rather than a direct British colony.

You can view the flag of Samoa in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Samoa profile, its map, or the current local time in Apia.