Kiribati’s flag (12 July 1979) features a gold frigatebird flying over a rising gold sun of 17 rays above three white‑and‑blue wavy bands, all on a red field. The design derives from the colonial badge granted in 1937, simplified at independence: the bird symbolises strength and freedom; the sun the equatorial position and 16 Gilbert Islands plus Banaba (17); the waves the Pacific and the main island groups. Ratio 1:2; construction sheets codify the sun’s diameter, ray angles, bird silhouette, and wave geometry. Protocol governs precedence, half‑masting, and dignified retirement.
Kiribati’s national flag presents a striking heraldic scene: a golden frigatebird (Fregata) soars above a rising golden sun with seventeen rays, set above three pairs of alternating white and blue waves, all against a red ground. Adopted on 12 July 1979 for the new Republic of Kiribati, the design refines the colonial badge first granted in 1937 and long used on ensigns.
Colonial Badge to National Flag Under British administration, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony used a Blue Ensign defaced with a badge: a gold frigatebird flying above a golden rising sun over stylised waves, all within a white disc. As independence approached, authorities replaced the ensign framework with a full flag bearing the badge elements across the entire field, simplifying outlines for cloth and wind legibility. When the Ellice Islands became Tuvalu (1978) and the Gilbert Islands proceeded to independence as Kiribati (1979), the refined device was entrenched in statute and construction drawings.
Geometry and Construction The proportion is 1:2. Official art specifies the sun’s diameter and placement at the centreline above the waves, the exact number and sweep of the seventeen rays, and the bird’s silhouette and angle of flight. The waves are rendered as three double bands (white over blue, repeated), their amplitudes and phase aligned so that crests and troughs fall at fixed fractions of the flag’s length. The bird’s wingtips and forked tail are positioned to avoid tangling with the sun’s rays while maintaining dynamism. These constraints ensure consistent reproduction across stitched and printed flags.
Symbolism The frigatebird is associated with seamanship, protection, and freedom in Micronesian tradition; the rising sun marks Kiribati’s equatorial position and daybreak over the Pacific; the seventeen rays signify the sixteen Gilbert Islands plus Banaba; the waves represent the ocean and, by reading, the three island groups commonly referenced in national discourse. The red field provides strong contrast and ceremonial warmth.
Colour Standards and Manufacture Guidance provides colour references for the red ground, golden emblems, and the blues of the waves, along with white that remains crisp under tropical light. Manufacturers are advised to use reinforced stitching along wave boundaries and the bird silhouette to prevent fraying on coastal masts. Vector artwork circulated by government specifies ray angles and bird proportions to curb drift in unofficial renderings.
Protocol
and Usage Rules cover respectful handling, sunrise‑to‑sunset display unless illuminated, precedence with foreign flags, and civil‑military contexts. Half‑masting follows national mourning decrees. On national days and at international sporting events, large‑format banners exhibit the undulating wave motif, while smaller hand flags prioritise simplified line weights to keep the bird recognisable.
Continuity Since 1979 the design has remained stable. Public education encourages correct wave counts and sun‑ray geometry—frequent points of error in improvised versions. The flag serves as a unifying emblem across dispersed atolls and a distinctive national signature among Pacific states.