Flag of Somalia
The flag of Somalia (, ), also known as the Somali flag, was adopted on October 12, 1954, and was designed by Mohammed Awale Liban. The flag was initially used within the Trust Territory of Somaliland before being adopted by the short-lived State of Somaliland and the Somali Republic. It is an ethnic flag for the Somali people; the flag's five-pointed star represents the five regions in which Somalis reside. History. Beginning in the mid-19th century, areas in the Horn of Africa populated by Somalis were divided among Ethiopia, France, Britain, and Italy. The flag of  Somalia was created in 1954 for the transitional trusteeship period of the nation's history. It was personally designed by the Somali scholar Mohammed Awale Liban, who was from the northern eastern side of Somalia after being selected to come up with a design in preparation for independence. The flag was also used in the short-lived independent State of Somaliland between 26 June 1960 and 1 July 1960. In Somaliland. The Somali flag is strictly prohibited in Somaliland. Characteristics. As an ethnic flag, the five-pointed white "Star of Unity" in its center represents the areas where the Somali  ethnic group form the majority: Djibouti, Somaliland (former British protectorate), the Somali region in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and Somalia (Italian Somaliland). However, the flag does not represent all the Somali regions anymore, going from an ethnic flag to the national flag of Somalia only. It now officially denotes the sky as well as the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel and the Somali Sea, which flank the country. Construction. The flag of Somalia can be reproduced using the following construction plan: Historical flags. The following are the flags historically used in the territory of present-day Somalia