It is said that in 1960, at the time of independence, the base color was made light blue alike the UN flag as a sign of respect for UN, which helped establish the nation. The white star in the center symbolizes freedom and independence. The five light stripes represents the five home lands of Somalians and also expresses hope for collaboration and unity. The current flag was made official in 1954 before independence. Today, the Somaliland national flag is used in northern Somalia.