Somalia’s flag was first flown in 1954, 6 years before Somali independence, as a symbol of the Somali people. The song “Qolobaa Calankeed” was written the following year to celebrate the adoption of a flag for the Somali people. After a long period of governmental instability, the song was proclaimed as the new Somali anthem in the August 1, 2012 constitution as a break from the past.