The flag of Singapore consists of two horizontal halves. The top half is red, and the bottom half is white. In the top-left corner, there is a white crescent moon and five white stars arranged in a circle. The red symbolizes universal brotherhood and equality among the people of Singapore. The white represents purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise, and the five stars symbolize the nation’s ideals: democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality. The flag was officially adopted on December 3, 1959, when Singapore became a self-governing state within the British Empire, and later remained in use when Singapore gained full independence in 1965.