The Government Entity Identity System
The government entity identity system establishes a single structure for applying the National Emblem and an institutional wordmark across the official communications of every ministry, authority, commission, agency and office of the Republic of Somaliland.
Two institutions are documented here as worked examples. The Ministry of the Presidency represents a ministry established by the Constitution and carries Government Green. The Civil Service Institute represents an institution operating under delegated mandate and carries Government Red. The construction rules are identical for both — only the wordmark and the assigned colour change.
Colour Assignment
Colour is not a design choice in this system. It records an institution's constitutional standing, and it must match the colour used on that institution's official seal and stamp.
Which colour applies
Ministries and institutions established by the Constitution use Government Green — the same colour required for their official seal and stamp under Article 9.5. All other government institutions, including authorities, commissions, agencies and offices, use Government Red under Articles 2 and 10.5. Articles 9.5 and 10.5 set the same division for seal and signature ink.
Colour specifications
Government Green — HEX #00843D, RGB 0 · 132 · 61, CMYK 100 · 0 · 54 · 48, nearest Pantone 348 C. Government Red — HEX #DA291C, RGB 218 · 41 · 28, CMYK 0 · 81 · 87 · 15, nearest Pantone 485 C. HEX and RGB are the authoritative specification; the Pantone numbers are nearest matches for print reference only, and the CMYK values should be confirmed against the printer's own profile before production.
A third colour is assigned to the Offices of the President and Vice-President under Article 2. That mark falls outside the scope of this document and is published separately.
Logo Components
Every government entity logo is assembled from three fixed elements: the National Emblem, a vertical divider and the institutional wordmark. None of the three may be removed, re-ordered or redrawn.
The institutional wordmark
The wordmark carries the institution's name on three lines — Somali, Arabic and English — and behaves as one inseparable block. The lines may not be reordered, translated differently, set in another typeface or used on their own. The approved Arabic form of the country name is جمهورية صوماليلاند.
Construction and Proportions
The logo is constructed from a single measure. X is the diameter of the National Emblem, and every internal dimension is expressed as a multiple of X, so the mark holds its proportions at any reproduction size.
The measures
X — the diameter of the National Emblem, and the reference for every other dimension. S — the internal spacing unit, equal to 0.18 X. The vertical divider is 0.032 X wide. Measured on the approved vector master: emblem to divider 0.182 X, divider to wordmark 0.184 X, emblem height 1.000 X.
Overall width depends on the length of the institution's name and therefore differs between entities. The measured overall width for each lockup is printed on its own diagram below.
Minimum Clear Space
A protected margin surrounds the logo on all four sides. It is set at E = 2S = 0.36 X — twice the mark's own internal spacing unit — so the space around the logo always reads as larger than any gap inside it.
Clear space is measured from the outermost edge of the artwork: from the emblem on the left, and from the wordmark on the remaining sides. No text, image, rule, border or graphic element may enter this area, and no element may sit closer than E even where the layout appears to allow it.
Minimum Size
Below these sizes the wordmark stops being legible and the emblem loses definition. The logo must not be reproduced smaller than the values shown.
Approved minimums
Horizontal lockup, the default mark — 260 px on screen, 35 mm in print. Stacked lockup, where width is limited — 180 px on screen, 25 mm in print. Emblem alone, below the stacked minimum — 32 px on screen, 5 mm in print.
The emblem may stand alone only where the institution is already identified in adjacent text, such as a favicon, an application icon or a social media avatar. It is not a substitute for the full lockup on official documents.
Lockups and Backgrounds
Two lockups are approved. The horizontal lockup is the default and should be used wherever the layout allows. The stacked lockup exists for narrow and vertical formats only; it is not an alternative preference.
Background usage
On light backgrounds the logo appears in its full-colour form. On the institution's own assigned colour the wordmark reverses to white while the National Emblem retains its approved colours. Place the logo only on a plain, even background that preserves contrast — never over photography, pattern or busy imagery.
Monochrome Versions
Monochrome versions exist to satisfy production constraints, not preference. Use them only where full colour is unavailable — single-colour print, engraving, embossing, stamping or etching.
Approved monochrome values
Black — HEX #000000, RGB 0 · 0 · 0, CMYK 0 · 0 · 0 · 100 — for light backgrounds. White — HEX #FFFFFF, RGB 255 · 255 · 255, CMYK 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 — for dark backgrounds.
Never reproduce the logo in grey, in a single unapproved colour, or in black where the full-colour version can print. Both versions are supplied for the horizontal and the stacked lockup.
Incorrect Usage
The examples below are not matters of taste. Each one alters approved artwork and is therefore not permitted in any government communication.
Prohibited alterations
Do not stretch or condense. Do not rotate. Do not change the colours. Do not alter the internal spacing. Do not add shadows or effects. Do not remove the emblem.
If a layout appears to require any of these changes, the layout should change — not the logo. Where a placement cannot accommodate the approved artwork, use the stacked lockup or the emblem alone within its documented minimum size.
