Flag of Samoa

Flag origins

Samoa's flag has a red field and blue canton containing five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross. Adopted on 24 February 1949 while under New Zealand trusteeship, it continued at independence in 1962. Official explanations associate red with courage, blue with freedom and white with purity; the constellation expresses its southern setting.

Flag story

The 1948 precursor had only four stars; the smaller fifth was added in 1949. Independence on 1 January 1962 followed a long campaign including the nonviolent Mau movement and its call Samoa mo Samoa. On Black Saturday in 1929, police fired on marchers, killing Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III and others.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Samoa — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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