Adopted in 1925. The Oregon state flag is navy blue with gold lettering and symbols. Blue and gold are the state colors. On the flag's face the legend "STATE OF OREGON" is written above a shield which is surrounded by 33 stars. Below the shield, which is the obverse portion of the state seal, is written "1859" the year of Oregon's admission to the union as the 33rd state. The flag's reverse side depicts a beaver. Oregon is the only state whose flag has a different pattern on the reverse side. The shield depicts the mountains and forests of Oregon, an elk with branching antlers, a covered wagon and ox team, the Pacific Ocean with a setting sun, a departing British man-of-war ship (a symbol of the departure of British influence in the region) and an arriving American merchant ship (a symbol of the rise of American power).