Flag of the Marshall Islands

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The flag of the Marshall Islands, an island nation in the Pacific, was adopted upon the start of self-government, May 1, 1979. The flag was designed by Emlain Kabua, who served as the first First Lady of the republic.^[1]

History

The Marshall Islands were part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the United States, from which the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia split. In common with other island nations in the region, this flag features the symbolic representation of the islands' place within the ocean. A blue field with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays appears on the hoist side above the two stripes. The rising diagonal band represents the equator, the star above representing this Northern Hemisphere archipelago. The white and orange portions of the band represent, respectively, the Ratak Chain ("sunrise") and the Ralik Chain ("sunset"), as well as symbolizing peace and courage. The star's 24 points represent the number of electoral districts, while the four elongated points represent the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje and Ebeye.

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  Flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; was used in the RMI from 1965 to 1979

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  The flag of the United Nations was also used in the RMI from 1947 to 1965

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  The flag of the United States was also used in the RMI from 1944 to 1959

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  The flag of the United States was also used in the RMI from 1959 to 1960

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  The flag of the United States was also used in the RMI from 1960 to 1986

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  Current flag, from 1979 to the present.

References

External links

• Marshall Islands at Flags of the World