Singapore Flag Colors, Meaning & History

Singapore flag
Color Palette
ColorsHEX CodeRGBCMYK
Red#ED2939237, 41, 570, 83, 76, 7
White#FFFFFF255, 255, 2550, 0, 0, 0

The flag of Singapore has two horizontal stripes. The top stripe is red while the bottom stripe is white. On the canton, there is a white crescent facing five stars that are five-pointed and arranged in a pentagon form.

Meaning of the Flag of Singapore

The stripes of red and white represent universal brotherhood and equality, while the white symbolizes purity and virtue.  The crescent is symbolic of the growth of a young country. The five stars that are framed by the crescent represent Singapore’s values and ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.

History of the Flag of Singapore

Singapore was a trading post established by the British East India Company in 1819. The Union Jack in the canton with alternating red and white stripes was the flag hoisted in Singapore. When Singapore was grouped with Penang and Malacca in the Straits Settlement, the flag of Singapore was the British Blue Ensign with a white disk and a lozenge with three crowns. In 1942 Japan invaded Singapore, and the Japanese flag was hoisted. In 1959, as Singapore became an autonomous state, a committee was assigned to choose a flag for Singapore. The committee, led by Dr. Toh Chih, studied the flags of the world, and came up with a unique flag that represents the young nations and its ideals. The current flag was officially introduced in 1959. It was the same flag hoisted when the independence of Singapore was proclaimed in 1963.