Samoa’s flag (24 February 1949; retained at independence in 1962) is a red field with a blue canton at the hoist bearing the Southern Cross—four large white five‑pointed stars and a smaller one. The design descends from a 1948 bill under New Zealand administration and replaced earlier colonial ensigns. A 1:2 ratio is standard; construction sheets fix canton size, star diameters, and coordinates. Red denotes courage and the blood of forebears; blue stands for freedom and the Pacific; the Southern Cross locates Samoa under southern skies. Protocol sets precedence, half‑masting rules, and dignified retirement; guidance ensures crisp star geometry and consistent shades across textiles for schools, churches, and state buildings.
Samoa’s national flag—a red field with a blue canton charged with the Southern Cross—connects modern constitutional identity to the wider Pacific tradition of southern‑sky emblems while preserving a straightforward geometry suitable for cloth and broadcast use. Adopted in 1949 and retained upon independence in 1962, it has become a constant of Samoan civic life at home and in the diaspora.
Late‑Colonial Origins and Adoption (1948–1949) During the Trusteeship period under New Zealand administration, Samoan leaders pursued symbols that would express local nationhood without complex heraldry. A 1948 bill proposed a flag comprising a red field and a blue canton at the hoist bearing the Southern Cross—four large white stars and a smaller star representing the familiar constellation. After deliberation and minor adjustments, the flag was adopted on 24 February 1949. When Samoa (then Western Samoa) gained independence on 1 January 1962, the banner was retained as the national flag, reinforcing continuity between the final phase of trusteeship and sovereign statehood.
Design, Proportion, and Construction The national flag’s common proportion is 1:2. The blue canton occupies the upper hoist quarter; within it, five white five‑pointed stars depict the Southern Cross (Crux) according to government drawings that specify star diameters, spacing, and coordinates from the canton edges. The canton’s blue and the field’s red are defined by colour references to reduce shade drift; the white of the stars is pure to maximise contrast. Procurement notes for schools and public offices emphasise a crisp star outline to prevent “blooming” in humid conditions and to ensure recognisability on televised ceremonies.
Symbolism Red is widely read as courage, sacrifice, and the blood of forebears; blue denotes liberty, the oceanic environment, and faith; the Southern Cross locates Samoa beneath the southern sky and aligns the flag with Pacific neighbours while preserving a distinct composition. The flag’s economy of forms—rectangles and stars—suits stitched and printed production across island climates and congregational settings, where banners are frequently displayed.
Protocol
and Usage Government guidance sets out respectful handling (no contact with ground or water), sunrise‑to‑sunset display unless illuminated, order of precedence with foreign flags and ecclesiastical banners, and dignified retirement of worn flags. Half‑masting follows national mourning declarations and includes instructions for hoisting to the truck, lowering to the prescribed depth, and re‑hoisting before sunset. Educational materials circulate star coordinate charts to ensure that the small fifth star is placed correctly relative to the larger four.
Continuity
and Diaspora Display The flag features prominently at Independence Day celebrations, sporting events, and church festivals, both in Samoa and among Samoan communities abroad. Civic instruction encourages use of correctly proportioned flags, particularly the canton size and star geometry, to avoid distorted renderings common in informal printing. Since independence, the design has not been altered, and discussion of alternatives has been limited, reflecting strong attachment to the existing emblem.
In sum, Samoa’s flag fuses a legible Pacific constellation with bold, saturated fields to produce a banner that reads clearly from village greens to stadium tiers—an emblem of a seafaring nation grounded beneath the Southern Cross.