The current flag of Samoa was adopted on 24 February, 1949 when the country was still a trust territory of New Zealand. 13 years after the flag was made, Samoa gained freedom from New Zealand on 1st of January, 1962. The basic design was made in 1948. That flag was identical to the current flag but the Southern Cross star pattern had four stars. The design was changed by adding a fifth star in 1949.

The red colour represents courage; the blue represents the freedom of Samoa, the white stands for purity. The five stars symbolise the constellation the Southern Cross. The cross represents the geographical position of Samoa in the world and also its links to New Zealand.