Adopted in 1949. The flag of Samoa is red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. Red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity. (ref: CIA World Factbook) Until 1997 Samoa was known as Western Samoa (and prior as German Samoa) and received independence from New Zealand in 1962. The eastern Samoan islands are known as American Samoa and remain an unincorporated territory of the United States.