The flag of Singapore has two equal horizontal halves, the top half is red and the bottom half is white. In the upper-left corner of the flag, there is a white crescent moon with five white stars arranged in a circle within the crescent.
The red colour on the flag represents universal brotherhood and equality of man, while the white colour represents pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the ascendant, and the five stars represent the nation’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.
The flag was first adopted on December 3, 1959, when Singapore became a self-governing state within the British Empire. After gaining independence from Malaysia in 1965, the flag was retained as the national flag of the newly-formed Republic of Singapore. The flag is flown throughout the year, and it is a symbol of the country’s unity and identity.