The national flag of Djibouti (French: Drapeau de Djibouti) features two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star (representing the areas Somalis live in the region) in the centre. (These five areas are British Somaliland (Somalia), Italian Somaliland (Somalia), French Somaliland (Djibouti), the Ogaden, and the Northern Frontier District.) The colours used can be seen to symbolise the earth (green), the sea and sky (blue) and peace (white), with the red star representing unity. It was hoisted on the day of the independence of Djibouti on 27 June 1977. There is a red five-pointed star on Djibouti's white triangle.
The national flag, adopted in 1977, was an adaptation of the flag of the Ligue Populaire Africaine pour l'Independence (LPAI) that led Djibouti to independence. The LPAI flag had a red triangle with a white star. For the national flag, the star was placed in an upright rather than a slanted position, and the proportions of the flag were lengthened. The light blue represents the Issa Somalis, and the green represents the Afar. White, green, and light blue are the colors of the LPAI. The red star signifies the unity of the diverse state. |
