View source for Flag of Samoa

{{short description|National flag}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Samoa
| Article = 
| Nickname = 
| Image = Flag of Samoa.svg
| Image_size = 250px
| Imagetext = 
| Use = 111111
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}}
| Proportion = 1:2
| Adoption = {{Start date and age|1949|02|24|df=y}}<!-- <br/>{{Start date and age|1962|01|01|df=y}} --><!-- 4 July 1997 -->
| Design = A red field with the blue rectangle on the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing the [[Crux|Southern Cross]] of four white larger five-pointed stars and the smaller star in the center.
| Designer = [[Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole]] and [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]]
}}
[[File:Flag of Samoa (construction sheet).svg|thumb|Construction sheet]]
The '''flag of [[Samoa]]''' ({{langx|sm|fu‘a o Sāmoa}}) was adopted on 24 February 1949. It consists of a red field with a blue rectangle in the [[canton (heraldry)|canton]]. The blue rectangle bears the [[Southern Cross]], which is a common symbol on the flags of countries in the Southern Hemisphere, where the constellation can be seen.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-317397656/view?sectionId=nla.obj-328460056 |title=W. Samoa's Flag Approved In NZ |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=XIX |issue=8 |page=20 |date=1 March 1949 |access-date=29 August 2021 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=29 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829053637/https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-317397656/view?sectionId=nla.obj-328460056 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19490226.2.132 |title=NEW FLAG FOR WESTERN SAMOA |work=[[Otago Daily Times]] |page=9 |date=26 February 1949 |access-date=29 August 2021 |via=Papers past |archive-date=29 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829053640/https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19490226.2.132 |url-status=live }}</ref> The flag was originally designed in 1948 by [[Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole]] and [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]], who would later become the heads of state of Samoa when it gained independence in 1962.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-01 |title=A brief history of Sāmoan flags: 'Uniting under what colonisers brought to us', says academic |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/523870/a-brief-history-of-samoan-flags-uniting-under-what-colonisers-brought-to-us-says-academic |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-05 |title=Samoa PM opposes flag change proposal |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/198137/samoa-pm-opposes-flag-change-proposal |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-NZ |quote=[[Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi|Tuilaepa]] said the late Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II drew the flag and painted in the colours.}}</ref>

The flag is officially defined by the Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paclii.org/ws/legis/consol_act_2019/ofanaosa1994308/ |title=Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994 |publisher=PACLII |date=28 July 1994 |access-date=12 August 2021 |archive-date=12 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812043306/http://www.paclii.org/ws/legis/consol_act_2019/ofanaosa1994308/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When it is being raised or lowered in public, people and vehicles must stop and remain stationary until the performance is complete.<ref>''Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994'', section 5.</ref> Those who [[Flag desecration|deface the flag]] or who willfully insult it can be imprisoned for up to six months.<ref>''Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994 UFO'', section 7.</ref>

== {{anchor|Historical flags}}Historical flags ==
Prior to the [[First World War]], [[German Samoa|Samoa]] was a part of the [[German colonial empire]]. German colonies used the flag of the [[Imperial Colonial Office]], which was the tricolour [[flag of the German Empire]] defaced with the [[Reichsadler|Imperial Eagle]]. The Imperial German government intended to introduce specific flags for the colonies (also based on the tricolour) and several proposals were created, but the war and the subsequent loss of all overseas territories prevented their official adoption. [[New Zealand]] occupied [[German Samoa]] in 1914 and officially gained control of the territory in 1919.

From the capture by New Zealand forces on 29 August 1914, a defaced ensign with three palm trees encircled, and emblazoned on the fly were used. 

The initial variation of the current Samoan flag adopted in 1948 depicted only four stars; a fifth smaller star was added to the flag in 1949.<ref name=":0" /> 
<gallery>
File:Flag of Samoa (1858-1873) as reported in the Flags of Paradise chart.svg|Flag of the [[Kingdom of Samoa]] as depicted in the Flags of Paradise chart, similar to the [[Ottoman flag]] (1858-1873)
File:Flag of Samoa (1873-1875).svg|Flag of the Kingdom of Samoa (1873-1875)
File:Flag of Samoa (1875-1879).svg|Flag of the Kingdom of Samoa (1875-1879)
File:Flag of Samoa (1879).svg|Flag of the Kingdom of Samoa (1879-1887, 1889-1899). Flag was also used by the [[Mau movement|Mau Movement]]
File:Flag of Tuiaana line 1873-1887 1889-1900.svg|Flag of the Tui A‘ana dynasty in the Kingdom of Samoa (1875-1887, 1889–1900).
File:Flag of Tupua Tamasesse 1887-1889.svg|Flag of the Tupua Tamasese in the Kingdom of Samoa (1887–1889)
File:Reichskolonialflagge.svg|Flag of the German Colonial Office (1899–1914)
File:Flaggenhissung Samoa.jpg|The German colonial flag is raised, 1 March 1900
File:Flag of Deutsch-Samoa.svg|Proposal for a separate flag for German Samoa, never adopted
File:Flag of New Zealand.svg|The flag of New Zealand was used under the occupation by [[New Zealand Army|NZ forces]] (1914–1920)
File:Flag of the Samoa Trust Territory.svg|Official flag of [[Western Samoa Trust Territory|Western Samoa]] under [[League of Nations Mandate|Mandate]] with New Zealand (17 December 1920 – 1 January 1962)
File:Flag of Samoa (1948-1949).svg|Initial flag of [[Western Samoa]] acquired but not approved (26 May 1948)
File:Flag of Samoa.svg|Flag of Western Samoa, later renamed to Samoa (24 February 1949 – present)
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Flags depicting the Southern Cross]]
*[[Flag of the Republic of China]]
*[[Flag of Myanmar#1948 flag|Flag of the Union of Burma (historical)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{FOTW|id=ws|title=Samoa}}
*[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Samoa.html World Statesmen – Samoa]

{{Oceania topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Oceania]]}}

{{Samoa topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Union Flag}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samoa, Flag of}}
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1949]]
[[Category:National symbols of Samoa|Flag]]
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:Southern Cross flags]]
[[Category:Flags with cantons|Samoa]]
[[Category:Flags with blue, red and white]]