Flag of Vanuatu

Vanuatu
Flag of Vanuatu
Use National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion 19:36
Adopted 18 February 1980

The flag of Vanuatu was adopted on 18 February 1980.

When the Vanua'aku Pati led the New Hebrides to independence as Vanuatu in 1980, the colours of the party flag (red, green, black and yellow) were chosen to be the basis for the national flag. A parliamentary committee chose the final design based on submissions from local artists.[1]

Symbolism

Tusk and fern detail

The green represents the richness of the islands, the red symbolises the blood of wild boars and men, and the black the ni-Vanuatu people. The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Father Walter Lini, requested the inclusion of yellow and black fimbriations to make the black stand out. The yellow Y-shape represents the light of the gospel going through the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean (approximately 83% of the people of Vanuatu profess Christianity).[1]

The emblem in the black is a boar's tusk — the symbol of prosperity worn as a pendant on the islands — along with two leaves of the local namele fern. The leaves are supposed to be a token of peace, and their 39 fronds represent the 39 members [sic] of the Parliament of Vanuatu.[1]

Construction

With a flag width of 180 units, the width of the triangle, from hoist to point, should be 84 units. The height of the flag will thus be 95 units, with the yellow band being 5 units tall, the gold fimbriations are each 6 units tall and the upper and lower (red and green) parts of the field are, thus, 39 units tall each.[1]

Other flags of Vanuatu

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference FotW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

Subnational flags from Vanuatu

  1. ^ "Penama Province (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 
  2. ^ "Sanma Province (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 
  3. ^ "Shefa Province (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 8 July 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 
  4. ^ "TAFEA Nation (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 
  5. ^ "Nation of Tanna (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 

Historical flags of the New Hebrides

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Historical Flags (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 
  2. ^ "State of Vemerana (Vanuatu)". Flags of the World. 14 February 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2014. 

See also

References and external links

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Vanuatu". Flags of the World. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.