Flag of Samoa
A red field with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist. On the blue are five white stars of the Southern Cross, one of them smaller than the others.
What the flag means
The Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994 describes the design but gives it no meaning. The smaller fifth star is the fainter Epsilon Crucis. In an unofficial reading, red is courage, white purity and blue freedom.
History
The paramount chiefs Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole designed the flag while Western Samoa was a New Zealand territory, borrowing New Zealand's colours, Southern Cross and canton layout. The New Zealand government approved a four-star version on 26 May 1948, and the fifth star was added on 24 February 1949. Samoa kept the flag at independence on 1 January 1962.
Earlier flags of Samoa
- 1873–1900Kingdom of Samoa: red with a white cross and a white star in the canton
- 1920–1948Blue Ensign with three palm trees, for the mandated territory
- 1948–1949Present design with four stars
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of Samoa
- Flags of the World: Samoa
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
