Flag of Vanuatu

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.

## Symbolism

 File:Vanuatu tusk and fern.svg
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).

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 Cycad. The leaves are supposed to be a token of peace, and their 39 leaflets represent the 39 members [*sic*] of the Parliament of Vanuatu.

## 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.

## Other flags of Vanuatu

Naval Ensign of Vanuatu.svgWar ensign Naval EnsignPresidential Standard of Vanuatu.svgPresidential Standard
## Subnational flags from Vanuatu

Flag of Penama Province.svgFlag of Penama ProvinceFlag of Sanma Province.svgFlag of Sanma ProvinceFlag of Shefa Province.svgFlag of Shefa ProvinceTafea Flag.svgDesign is a reconstruction, based on past observations Reconstructed secessionist flag of the Tafea NationBandera Tanna Vanuatu.svgFlag of the island of Tanna, in Tafea Province, and of its secessionist movement
## Historical flags of the New Hebrides

Flag of Franceville.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission (1887–1906)Flag of the British New Hebrides (1906-1953).svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the British New Hebrides (1906–53, with the Tudor Crown)Flag of the British Resident Commissioner of the New Hebrides (1906-1953).svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the British Resident Commissioner (1906–53, Tudor Crown)Flag of the British New Hebrides (1953-1980).svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the British New Hebrides (1953–80, with St Edward's Crown)Flag of the British Resident Commissioner of the New Hebrides (1953-1980).svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the British Resident Commissioner (1953–80, St Edward's Crown)Flag of France.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the French New Hebrides (1906–40, 1944–80)Flag of Free France (1940-1944).svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag of the Free French administration of New Hebrides (1940–44)Flag Vanuatu 1963.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag attested as being used in the 1963 South Pacific GamesFlag of New Hebrides.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandoned Flag attested as being used in the 1966 South Pacific GamesFlag of Vemerana.svgFlag of the ephemeral Republic of Vemerana (1980)Flag of People's Provisional Government of Vanuatu.pngFlag of People's Provisional Government of Vanuatu led by Vanua'aku Pati
## See also

* File:大洋.pngOceania portal

* Coat of arms of Vanuatu
* File:Flag of Tuva.svg Flag of Tuva (created 1992) which closely resembles the flag of Vanuatu.
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Flag of South Africa (adopted 1994) which also closely resembles the flag of Vanuatu.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Vanuatu. *Flags of the World* (20 November 2013). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
2. ↑ Penama Province (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (13 April 2013). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
3. ↑ Sanma Province (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (18 December 2013). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
4. ↑ Shefa Province (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (8 July 2006). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
5. ↑ TAFEA Nation (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (21 February 2009). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
6. ↑ Nation of Tanna (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (20 July 2013). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Historical Flags (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (10 June 2011). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vanuatu. *World Statesmen* (10 June 2013). Retrieved on 27 September 2016.
9. ↑ State of Vemerana (Vanuatu). *Flags of the World* (14 February 2007). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.

### Sources

* Vanuatu. *The World Factbook*. United States Central Intelligence Agency (20 June 2014). Retrieved on 2 August 2014.