Oceania Flag Quiz Challenge

Australia’s national flag is a Blue Ensign (ratio 1:2) with the Union Jack in the canton, the large seven‑pointed Commonwealth Star beneath it, and the Southern Cross in the fly. Chosen via a public competition after Federation, it was first raised on 3 September 1901 in Melbourne and formally specified in 1903; in 1908 the Commonwealth Star gained a seventh point for the territories. For decades the Red Ensign served mercantile and much civil use while the Blue Ensign denoted Commonwealth authority; the Flags Act 1953 affirmed the Blue Ensign as the Australian National Flag. Construction sheets fix star sizes, positions, and colour references; protocol governs precedence, half‑masting, dignified retirement, and display on public buildings, ships, and diplomatic missions. Read more

Fiji’s flag (10 October 1970) is a light‑blue British Blue Ensign defaced with the national shield at the fly and the Union Jack in the canton. The pale blue recalls the Pacific; the shield displays a red St George’s Cross with a lion passant and quarters showing sugar cane, coconut palm, bananas, and a dove of peace—derived from colonial arms simplified at independence. The ratio is 1:2; construction sheets fix shield size and position, and colour references. A 2015–2016 redesign initiative was discontinued, retaining the current flag. Protocol governs half‑masting, precedence with foreign flags, and dignified retirement; the Red Ensign serves mercantile use. Read more

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. Read more

The Marshall Islands flag (1 May 1979) has a deep blue field crossed by two diagonal bands—wide orange over narrow white—radiating from the lower hoist toward the fly, with a white star of 24 points near the upper hoist. The bands evoke equatorial sunlight (orange) and peace (white) and the island chains’ sweep; the star’s points reference electoral districts, with elongated rays indicating the cardinal directions. Adopted at constitutional self‑government and retained under the Compact of Free Association, the flag’s ratio is commonly 10:19; drawings fix band widths, angles, star radius, and placement. Protocol addresses precedence and half‑masting. Read more

The flag of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) was adopted on 30 November 1978 amid the transition from the UN Trust Territory to self‑government and entered use in 1979. It is a light (later darker) blue field charged with four white five‑pointed stars in a circle, symbolising the Pacific Ocean and the FSM’s four states—Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Yap. After the 1986 Compact of Free Association, the field shifted from UN blue to a deeper blue. A common ratio is 1:1.9; construction places the stars equidistant on a circle, one point of each oriented outward. Law and protocol govern respectful use, order of precedence, and half‑masting. The design continues the Trust Territory star motif while expressing a distinct federal identity in the Pacific. Read more

Nauru’s flag (31 January 1968) is a deep blue field crossed by a narrow golden horizontal stripe representing the Equator, with a white twelve‑pointed star set below the stripe near the hoist to mark the island’s position one degree south. The twelve points denote the island’s traditional tribes; white has been associated with phosphate, central to Nauru’s economy. Ratio is 1:2; construction fixes the stripe at one‑twelfth of the flag’s length and standardises star size and offsets. Protocol covers precedence, respectful handling, and half‑masting. The design, chosen at independence, has remained unchanged, projecting precise geographic symbolism and indigenous identity. Read more

New Zealand’s national flag is a British Blue Ensign (ratio 1:2) defaced with four red, white‑fimbriated stars of the Southern Cross in the fly. The design stems from nineteenth‑century colonial ensigns and was standardised by the New Zealand Ensign Act 1901 (in force 1902). Star positions and diameters were later clarified in construction sheets. The Union Jack in the canton marks constitutional origins; the Southern Cross anchors the banner in the southern sky. Protocol sets precedence, half‑masting practice, and rules for respectful display. In 2015–2016, a government‑run referendum considered alternatives but retained the current flag. Service ensigns (navy, air force) and Māori flags are recognised for specific contexts but do not alter the national flag’s legal form. Government specifications fix Pantone/CMYK references to control shade drift across textile and print. Read more

Palau’s flag (adopted 1 January 1981 ahead of the 1982 constitution) is a light‑blue field with a golden disc slightly shifted toward the hoist. The blue symbolizes a new era of self‑government and, secondarily, the Pacific setting; the disc represents the full moon, which in Palauan culture marks the ideal time for important activities (fishing, planting, harvesting, canoe‑building) and signifies peace, unity, and prosperity. Ratios vary in practice (often 5:8 or 1:2), but the disc remains off‑centre and sized as a large, clear circle. While statute names the colours as sky blue and golden yellow without numeric codes, government practice maintains consistent shades for legibility in tropical light. Protocol follows international norms: precedence with foreign flags, sunrise‑to‑sunset display unless illuminated, dignified retirement, and half‑masting during mourning. The design—selected by national competition—has remained unchanged through independence in 1994, anchoring Palau’s cultural identity and political continuity. Read more

Papua New Guinea’s flag (adopted 1 July 1971; retained at independence in 1975) is diagonally divided from upper hoist to lower fly—black over red—with a white Southern Cross of five stars on the black and a golden Raggiana bird‑of‑paradise in silhouette on the red. Designed by school student Susan Karike (later Karike Huhume), it replaced earlier ensign proposals. The design balances Melanesian colours and symbols with astronomical identity. Specifications fix a 3:4 or 1:2 ratio (commonly 3:4), star sizes/positions, and the bird’s silhouette artwork. Guidance covers protocol, half‑masting, and dignified retirement. The distinctive diagonal split yields strong contrast for mast and textile reproduction across the country’s varied climates. Read more

Samoa’s flag (24 February 1949; retained at independence in 1962) is a red field with a blue canton at the hoist bearing the Southern Cross—four large white five‑pointed stars and a smaller one. The design descends from a 1948 bill under New Zealand administration and replaced earlier colonial ensigns. A 1:2 ratio is standard; construction sheets fix canton size, star diameters, and coordinates. Red denotes courage and the blood of forebears; blue stands for freedom and the Pacific; the Southern Cross locates Samoa under southern skies. Protocol sets precedence, half‑masting rules, and dignified retirement; guidance ensures crisp star geometry and consistent shades across textiles for schools, churches, and state buildings. Read more

The Solomon Islands flag (18 November 1977) comprises a thin yellow diagonal band from lower hoist to upper fly, forming a blue upper triangle (canton side) with five white stars and a green lower triangle. Blue evokes the ocean, rivers, and rain; green the land’s fertility; yellow the sun. The five stars originally denoted the five districts and today express unity among the main island groups. Chosen via a national competition before independence (1978), the flag typically uses a 1:2 ratio; construction sheets standardise star placement and stripe width for legibility. Although precise Pantone values are not fixed in law, public practice maintains consistent shades. Protocol mirrors international norms, including precedence with foreign flags and half‑masting for mourning. The design has remained unchanged, signalling continuity amid evolving provincial administration. Read more

Tonga’s flag, fixed by the 1875 constitution, is a red field with a white canton charged with a red couped cross. Red recalls the blood of Christ; white signifies purity; the cross affirms the kingdom’s Christian identity. The constitution declares the design unchangeable. A 1:2 ratio is standard; guidance maintains consistent hues and canton geometry across uses. Protocol reflects strong royal and national reverence: precedence rules, respectful handling, and half‑masting during mourning. Co‑designed under King George Tupou I with adviser Shirley Baker, the banner replaced earlier cross designs (one rejected for resembling the Red Cross) and has remained a continuous emblem through protectorate status and modern sovereignty, anchoring Tonga’s religious and constitutional heritage. Read more

Tuvalu’s flag (1 October 1978) is a light‑blue ensign with the Union Jack canton and nine yellow five‑pointed stars on the fly, arranged to reflect the islands’ positions (with east at the top). A 1995 republican variant dropped the Union Jack and altered the stars but was reversed in 1997 after public opposition; the original scheme was restored. Ratio 1:2; canton occupies the upper hoist quarter. Construction fixes star sizes and coordinates for cartographic legibility. The blue recalls the Pacific; stars denote the islands; the canton recognises Commonwealth ties. Protocol follows international norms, including precedence and half‑masting. Read more

Vanuatu’s flag (30 July 1980) features a black Y‑shape fimbriated in yellow issuing from the hoist, dividing a green upper fly and red lower fly, with a black hoist triangle bearing a yellow boar’s tusk encircling two crossed namele fronds. Red signifies sacrifice and nationhood; green the land’s abundance; black the Melanesian people and soil; yellow the light of the Gospel and prosperity. Ratio commonly 3:5; drawings fix the Y width, fimbriation, emblem geometry, and placements. Protocol covers precedence and half‑masting. The design, derived from party colours and local art, has remained unchanged, tying state symbolism to custom and unity. Read more