Tonga Flag, Flag of Tonga The flag representing the Kingdom of Tonga was officially adopted on 4th November, 1875. Flag of Tonga Disclaimer Close Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited, its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same. Download Picture of Blank Tonga Flag For Kids to Color The Tonga Flag is red in color with a white quarter at the upper left corner on the hoist-side of the flag. The white quarter bears a red cross placed at the center. The Red Cross is very much symbolic of the coming of Christianity to Tonga islands. The color red in the Tonga flag also represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice. The white quarter symbolizes purity. Official Name: Kingdom of Tonga Capital: Nuku Alofa on Tongatapu Location: 169 island and islets forming three main groups Vava in the north Ha apai in the center and tongatapu in the South. Area: 748 Sq. km National Flag: Red with a white quarter bearing a red coupled cross.

National Anthem: Koe Fasi Oe Tu I Oe Out Tonga National Anthem of Tonga (1874) Fact about Tonga flag Tonga Flag - World Flags 101 - Tongan Flags Country: United Kingdom of Tonga Proportions: 1:2 Tongan Flag Description: The flag of Tonga consists of a red base with a white square in the upper left corner. There is a red cross centered on the white square. Advertiser Links [ what's this? ] Tongan Flag Meaning: The red cross represents the country's belief in Christianity. The white stands for purity and the red represents the blood Jesus shed at his crucifixion and reminds Tonga's people that they owe their salvation to him. Tongan Flag History: The Tongan flag originated in the 1860s and was adopted on November 4, 1875, making it one of the world's oldest flags. The constitution of 1875 stated that the Tongan flag should never be changed.

The Tongan flag was based on an idea from the Tongan King, George Tupou I and possibly patterned on the British Red Ensign, a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper left corner. Tonga gained independence from British protectorate status on June 4, 1970. Interesting Tongan Flag Facts: Tonga used to fly a flag that was the same as the flag of the Red Cross organization, so the Tongan flag was changed to avoid confusion with it. An 1875 law states the Tongan flag should never be altered. World FlagsAlphabetical list of all world flags. T flag of Tonga | Britannica.com Flag of Tonga national flag consisting of a red field (background) with a white canton bearing a red cross. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2. Related Topics flag of New Zealand When the Western concept of flags began to take hold in the Pacific region in the late 18th century, the independent kingdoms there frequently adopted red and white as their principal flag colours, although blue was also used.

Perhaps not coincidentally, those three colours were featured in the flags of Britain , France , and the United States —the chief Western explorers and traders in the Pacific. The first national flag of Tonga , established in the 1840s, was typical of those designs. It had a background of white with a red or blue cross in each corner and the initials A and M in the centre, respectively in red and blue, to represent the king. When King George Tupou I came to the throne, he relied heavily on an Englishman, Shirley W. Baker, for advice regarding a new flag, which was first hoisted in 1866 and codified in the constitution of November 4, 1875. Like the British Red Ensign, three-quarters of the flag was plain red and there was a distinctive canton in the upper hoist corner. Tonga chose a couped (shortened) cross of red as a symbol of the Christian religion, to which most of its people adhered; the colour was related specifically to the blood shed by Jesus at the Crucifixion .

According to law, the national flag of Tonga may not be altered, although the country has adopted distinctive flags for its army and navy as well as a royal standard for its sovereign . Tonga This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Tonga ) image by Željko Heimer and Ant�nio Martins-Tuv�lkin, 22 April 2016 Flag adopted 4th November 1875, coat-of-arms adopted 1862 image of the national flag in the Tongan Consulate in San Francisco website which instead of 1:2 is (exactly) 3:4. Also the canton is not half as high as the flag but around 2/5ths. Santiago Dotor, 25 January 2001 Tonga was a British Protected State from 18 May 1900 - 4 June 1970. The best information I have (garnered from a number of sources) is that the flag was adopted in 1866 (during the reign of King George Tupou).

It was enshrined in the Constitution of 4 November 1875 (last amended 21 February 1991), and remained in use during the Protected State period. Christopher Southworth, 5 April 2003 A British Protected State was a state with a recognised sovereign ruler that did not have relations with Foreign Powers except through the British Government. Protected States did not have Blue Ensigns or defaced Union Jacks. David Prothero, 7 April 2003 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Tonga: PMS 032 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.

Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 after the Album des Pavillons (2000) The construction details in Album des Pavillons (2000) (shown above) are different from those obtained from the Flag Institute (shown below). Earlier sources, like Flaggenbuch (1939) and National Geographic (1917) , show the flag in a 2:3 ratio, but I am somehow ready to dismiss them as unreliable. Does anyone have any information on a possible change in the ratio some time after WWII? Anyway, Album des Pavillons (2000) gives construction details as (3+3):(5+7). The details of the cross are not given, but apparently match the Flag Institute specification. Flaggenbuch does not provide construction details, presumably even Neubecker could not get them. This may be further indication that 2:3 ratio of shown in the period might not be correct.

Željko Heimer, 31 March 2003 image by Željko Heimer, 31 March 2003 after the Flag Institute The Flag Institute gives the flag construction as (1+2+2+2+1+8):(3+2+2+2+3+20), according to specifications provided by Chris Southworth. Željko Heimer, 31 March 2003 Older sources (e.g., Flaggenbuch (1939) and National Geographic (1917) ) all show this flag as 2:3~. Željko Heimer, 4 April 2003 History image by Željko Heimer, 6 April 2003 The first design [1862] was a plain white flag with a red couped cross, but this was later found to be too similar to the International Red Cross Flag , adopted in 1863, and so the white flag was placed in the canton of a red one. The 1875 constitution states that the flag shall never be altered.

Smith 1980 added that "the actual forms of the flag and arms are credited both to Prince Uelingatoni* Ngu Tupoumalohi and to Reverend Shirley Baker, a Wesleyan minister." Is Uelingatoni a local form of Wellington? Ivan Sache, 31 December 1999 The present design (...) was adopted for its symbolism (the red field is a representation of Christ's blood, and the cross also comes from Christian iconography) back in the 1870s or something on the understanding that it would never be changed. David Kendall, 5 March 1997 Smith (1975) wrote: "In the first assembly of the Tonga parliament in 1862, King George Tupou I called for propositions for the design of a national flag.

After a long discussion he laid open his own conception about the flag: "It is my wish that our flag contains the cross of Jesus (...) and that the flag is of red colour to bring to expression the blood which was shed on the cross for our redemption." (My translation of the German edition) The flag and coat of arms of Tonga are credited to Prince Uelingatoni Ngu Tupoumalohi and the Methodist pastor Shirley Baker. Martin Karner, 11 January 2004 image from: The flag and coat of arms of Tonga are credited to Prince Uelingatoni Ngu Tupoumalohi and the Methodist pastor Shirley Baker. The inscription "KOE 'OTUA MO TONGA KO HOKU TOFI'A" means: God and Tonga are my inheritance. Martin Karner, 11 January 2004 The Tonga Royal Arms and Flag Act is available on the website of the University of South Pacific, in Vanuatu at . LAWS OF TONGA ----------------------------------------------------- Act No. 17 of 1962 An Act to Prevent the Unauthorized Use of the Tonga Coat of Arms and the Royal Ensign.

[1962, October 30] 1.This Act may be cited as the Tonga Royal Arms and Flag Act. Restriction on using Coat of Arms or Flag. 2.A person shall not, without the authority of His Majesty in Council, use in connection with any business, calling or profession the Tonga Coat of Arms or Flag of Tonga, or arms or flag so resembling them as to be calculated to deceive, in such manner as to be calculated to lead to the belief that he is duly authorized to use the Coat of Arms or the Flag of Tonga. Use for business purposes prohibited. 3.The grant of authority to use the Coat of Arms or the Flag shall not authorize the use of the Coat of Arms or Flag for business purposes or for use on any patented article. Royal Ensign. 4.The Royal Ensign is the personal flag of His Majesty and shall not be flown or otherwise displayed except when His Majesty is present. Offence. 5.A person guilty of an offence against this Act shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $40, and in default of payment to imprisonment for any period not exceeding 3 months. No prosecution without leave.

6.No prosecution for a breach of the provisions of this Act shall be commenced without leave of His Majesty in Council. Ivan Sache, 26 April 2003 Tonga Flags and Symbols and National Anthem Tonga Flag: The flag of Tonga was officially adopted on November 4, 1875. One of the oldest flags of the island countries in the South Pacific Ocean, the flag's widely recognized red cross is symbolic of Christianity coming to the islands; white symbolizes purity, and red represents the blood of Christ. Larger Tonga flag Tonga Coat of Arms: The coat of arms of Tonga was adopted in 1875, and features a large shield divided into four quarters. The Royal Crown of Tonga is displayed in the top-right quadrant, the top-left contains three stars, the bottom-left a dove holding an olive branch, and in the bottom-right are three crossed swords.

Each of these symbolize an important element for Tonga: the dove and olive branch are for the wish of God's peace (taken from the story of Noah and the Great Flood), the three stars represent the main island groups of Tonga, the crown is for the ruling monarchy, and the swords represent the three dynasties of the kings (Tuʻi Tonga, Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua and the current Tuʻi Kanokupolu). Below the shield, Tonga's motto "Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofiʻa" ("God and Tonga are my inheritance") is displayed on a ribbon, and making up the crest is the Royal Crown of Tonga supported by olive branches. See Also Red Cross and Red Crescent flags This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Red Cross and Red Crescent flags Geneva Convention by Alvin Heims, 29 Nov 1999 by Željko Heimer, 11 Dec 1999 The precise appearance of these flags is not prescribed. The versions shown above are in use, the last three being exported from .eps files on the ICRC web site.

Kindersley (1997) states (in the Tonga page) that the flag with the red cross coupee was adopted in 1863. António Martins, 12 March 1999 1949 Geneva Convention The following summarizes the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions that govern the use of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Lion and Sun flags. Geneva I governs land warfare, Geneva II governs warfare at sea. There are also Geneva III and IV, but they have no provisos concerning flags: Geneva I, Art. 38, provides for use of the Swiss federal arms in reversed colors, the red cross on a white ground, as the emblem and distinctive sign of the Medical Service of armed forces. [This was originally provided for in article VII of the first Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, signed on August 22, 1864.] The red crescent or red lion and sun, in lieu of the red cross, will be recognized for use by countries that were already using those devices when the 1949 convention was adopted. Geneva I, Art.

39, requires the emblem (red cross, etc.) to be displayed on the flags, armlets and on all equipment employed in the Medical Service. The same provision is also contained in Geneva II, Art. 41. Geneva I, Art. 42, limits the display of "the distinctive flag of the Convention" to medical units and establishments entitled to be respected under the Convention and permits it to be displayed in conjunction with the national flag of the party to which the unit or establishment belongs. [The 1864 convention required it to be displayed with the national flag.] When medical units fall into the hands of the enemy, they display only the flag of the Convention. Geneva I, Art. 43, requires medical units of neutral countries "which may have been authorized to lend their services to a belligerent" to fly the flag of the Convention and the national flag of the belligerent to which they have been lent, and permits them to fly their own national flag as well. Such neutral medical units may continue to fly their own national flags even if they are captured. Geneva I, Art.

44, bans all uses of the Red Cross or equivalent emblems (including flags) other than to indicate or protect medical units and establishments and related personnel and material under the Geneva Conventions, except that national Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies may use the emblems in peacetime for other activities in conformity with the principles of the Red Cross movement. In wartime, they may use the emblems for their other activities only if they are clearly not implying the protection of the convention. International Red Cross organizations (such as the International Committee of the Red Cross) may use the Red Cross emblem at all times. Geneva II, Art 43 requires hospital ships to "make themselves known by hoisting their national flag and further, if they belong to a neutral state, the flag of the Party to the conflict whose direction they have accepted. A white flag with a red cross shall be flown at the mainmast as high as possible." Hospital ships that are provisionally detained by the enemy haul down their national colors. Coastal lifeboats operating from a base occupied by the enemy may continue to fly their own national colours along with the Red Cross flag.

Geneva II, Art 44, limits the use of the distinguishing signs, including the flag, to indicating ships and vessels protected by the convention, whether in peace or war (except as otherwise agreed, e.g., by Geneva I). Joe McMillan, 2 May 2000 The main authority to use the red cross/red crescent symbol is not by any international red cross organization (ICRC or IFRC) or national red cross society but by the parties to the Geneva conventions (or any party to a conflict, since the protocol includes civil wars within its ambit) to designate military medical facilities and units. In fact, in both wartime and peacetime the national red cross societies can use the symbol only with the approval of their governments. The same applies to the other symbols provided for under the conventions and the protocol: decisions on where to display them is the responsibility of the authorities of the governments who signed the convention or of the parties to a conflict.

Joe McMillan, 6 May 2000 Shape and orientation of emblems on flags The rules for this are laid down in the "Regulations on the use of the Emblem of the Red Cross or the Red Crescent by the National Societies" (adopted by the 20th Red Cross and Red Crescent International Conference (Vienna, 1965) and revised by the Council of Delegates (Budapest, 1991)): CHAPTER I : GENERAL RULES Article 5: "Design of the emblem" ... The emblem used as a protective device shall always retain its original form, i.e. nothing shall be added either to the cross, the crescent or the white ground. A cross formed with two cross-pieces, one vertical and the other horizontal crossing in the middle, shall be used. The shape and direction of the crescent are not regulated. Neither the cross nor the crescent shall touch the edges of the flag or the shield. The shade of the red is not specified. The ground shall always be white. ... Article 7: "Internal regulations of the National Society" ... The National Society shall lay down the conditions governing the use of the emblem in regulations or internal directives.

The regulations or directives may consist, for example, of: ... B. Concerning the indicative use of the emblem: ... - the dimensions and proportions of the emblem; So, the direction of the crescent doesn't matter -- all versions are valid and "protective". But national societies can decide for one version for "indicative" use (i.e. for consistency of the "logo" within the national society). This has no effect on the protective use, and is optional. Ref.: Melchior Franz, 13 March 2005 The red cross and the red crescent flags are not formalized to the construction details - no ratio, no explanation how exactly the cross and the crescent should look like, how bold they should be, etc. The intention is not to formalize it, so that any reasonable depiction would be enough to provide protection according to the agreements and international law - i.e., to prevent someone from saying maliciously that the proportions were not "as specified", so they did not have to respect the significance of the symbol. Therefore, the RC flags are made and used in different ratios, 1:1, 2:3, 1:2 all being quite usual.

In practice the RC flag tends to be of equal ratio as the flag of the country where it is displayed, but there is no such requirement. Željko Heimer, 18 May 2005 While the ICRC and the protocols regarding the emblems of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal refrain from determining any specifics of the emblems, to prevent abuse of these determinations as excuses for possible misconduct in regard to protection of these symbols in time of armed conflict - the IFRC issued in June 2006 a booklet with guidelines for drawing of the symbols and flags. My understanding that these guidelines are for the indicative purpose of the symbols and that the undetermined sizes are still valid for the protective purpose (although from the booklet it is not clearly visible!). Also, the booklet clearly defines the flag in ratio 3:5 (although it does not say that other sizes/ratios are improper - it surely implies so!) I would think that this is against the spirit of these symbols, but...

Red Cross image by Alvin Heims, 29 Nov 1999 Kindersley (1997) states (in the Tonga page) that the flag with the red cross coupee was adopted in 1863. António Martins, 12 March 1999 The plain Red Cross or Red Crescent flag is primarily used to identify medical units of military forces as provided by the 1864 and subsequent Geneva conventions, although national governments may authorize Red Cross or Red Crescent societies to use the flags provided there is no possibility of confusion with the primary use of the flag. The convention also allows the various international Red Cross organizations (ICRC and IFRC) to use the symbols. Therefore, the plain Red Cross is not a unique identifier of the ICRC. The basic right to use the Red Cross and Red Crescent flags does not derive from either of these organizations. It is an inherent right of all states that are parties to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and any other belligerent that might be engaged in combat in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

Joe McMillan, 1 April 2003 Vexillologist Léon Nyssen received a letter (in French) from ICRC quoting the Acts of Geneva Convention of 1949: "C'est de propos délibéré que l'on n'a pas voulu fixer la forme de la croix rouge, ce qui eut ouvert la porte � des abus dangereux... Si la forme de la croix avait été fixée de façon immuable, n'aurait-on pas cherché � justifier des attaques contre les bâtiments protégés par la convention en prétextant que les signes n'avaient pas les proportions prescrites?..." A tentative translation: "On purpose it has been desired not to determine the shape of the red cross, which determination would have given way to dangerous abuses...If the shape of the cross had been determined in an immutable way, would not one try to justify attacks against buildings protected by the Convention, arguing that the symbols did not have not the settled proportions?... Armand du Payrat, 1 April 2003 Nowadays it is normal that the Red Cross symbol in ordered (i.e.

peaceful) conditions is modeled after the Swiss flag , more or less. However, looking at old documentaries it seems to me that before, say 1950's, the shape of the cross was usually much thinner (even to one third of the width of the Swiss cross). Željko Heimer, 1 April 2003 image by Alvin Heims, 29 Nov 1999 This version of the red cross matches the form of the Swiss national flag . Željko Heimer, 11 December 2005 image by Alvin Heims, 29 Nov 1999 The Red Crescent flag is used in Islamic nations. The Red Crescent, the Muslim version of the Red Cross, is depicted as having the upper and lower tips of the crescent to the viewers left. In French Naval Commander du Payrat's publication "Album des Pavillons Nationaux et des Marques Distinctives" the tips of the crescent are to the viewer's right.

I observed news photos from Iraq on more than one occasion showing what appear the be field ambulances with the Red Crescent displayed on the side of the vehicle and the crescent's tips are to the viewer's right. Tru Pope, 22 July 2003 I believe that this is not strictly regulated by the ICRC, just as in the cross emblem version where width and length of the crossbars is irrelevant. It was intentionally left unspecified so that in combat no side might "make mistakes" supported by slight (or big) deviations from a "perfect" pattern. Željko Heimer, 23 July 2003 image by Željko Heimer, 11 December 2005 This is the form of the crescent as provided by ICRC. Some national societies prefer a left-pointing crescent: image by Željko Heimer, 11 December 2005 Red Lion image by Alvin Heims, 29 Nov 1999 In 1980 the Islamic Republic of Iran decided to give up the red lion and sun and use the red crescent in its place. This flag is therefore obsolete.

Red Chevron Looking at Victor Lomantsov's Vexillographia site (issue on the CD that he courteously provided to me in Stockholm) I read about the Kazakh Red Cross and Red Crescent society flag. That seems to employ the new symbol consisting of a "red chevron" with the red cross and the red crescent in base of it. As my Russian is not that good (and I have no patience reading it really carefully) I am not sure if that is still a proposal, or if this new symbols is already being used. Some years ago I have been reading about this new symbol being discussed by the ICRC, but as far as I was aware, the proposal was not yet formally adopted. Are there any changes about that? From memory, the red chevron symbol was proposed to replace the religious symbols and would therefore remove the unwanted connotations and problems that other religions see in the two internationally adopted symbols (three actually, the third is the red lion-and-sun symbol not used any more). This would enable inclusion of the Red Magen David society too, and would enable the other religions to find their place in the scheme.

The world-wide symbol is to be the chevron only consisting of a 45 degrees rotated square that is "missing" the lower quarter. In this quarter the local symbol may be added at will (or after certain regulations) just as the Kazakh flag shows. Željko Heimer, 13 September 2003 The ICRC website is still citing the proposed status of the emblem. As they note, the emblem must first be recognized by the signatories to the Geneva Convention as a symbol of the ICRC. World events appear to have delayed this from becoming an official symbol to date. Phil Nelson, 13 September 2003 As Phil pointed out, this still seems to be a proposal. The Singapore Red Cross has an English language web page with illustrations of apparently two designs. See Thorsten, 13 September 2003 [Editor's note: this proposal appears to have been abandoned with the introduction of the red crystal symbol in 2005.] Red Cross Line image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 February 2008 Postcard collection shows shipping flag entitled "Red Cross Line" and a 2:3 flag otherwise identical the regular Red Cross.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 February 2008 Red Cross of Southern Sudan image by Eugene Ipavec, 01 April 2012 You can see the flag of the new national society of the Red Cross of Southern Sudan on < >. Jose Antonio Jiménez Ruiz, 04 February, 2012 In the website of the Afghan Red Crescent Society , you can see the emblem of the Society, the explanation of the symbol , and you can see the flag of this Society in several images of the " Image Gallery ".

Jose Antonio Jiménez Ruiz, 04 February, 2012 Kiribati This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Kiribati 1:2 image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 18 March 2014 Flag adopted 12 July 1979, coat of arms adopted 1 May 1937 On this page: Description and history of the flag DK Pocket Book gives additional information about the adoption of the flag: "Shortly before independence was granted in 1979, a local competition was held to choose a new national flag and a design based on the colonial coat of arms, was submitted. The College of Arms decided to modify the design. Both the golden frigate bird and the sun were enlarged to occupy more of the top of the flag and the width of the blue and white wavy bands was reduced. However, the local people insisted on the original design, in which the top and bottom halves of the flag were equal, the sun and local frigate birds small, and the various design elements outlined in black.

The new flag was hoisted during the independence day celebrations in the capital, Tarawa, on 12 July 1979." And if you check Smith , the flag represented is the rejected design, the flag represented above is also the rejected design! Ivan Sache, 31 December 1999 The flag is the banner of the arms that was given to Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1937. The Ellice Islands became what we know as Tuvalu today, and the Gilbert Islands changed their name to Kiribati, but the shield remained the same. It is red with white-blue wavy lines in bottom representing the ocean, golden sun rising from it, and above it a bird flying. This flag came in use in 1979. Until then Gilbert and Ellice used blue duster with the same shield, and a motto 'Fear the God, respect the king'. This was official since 1969. What is actually written there is: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu'.

Željko Heimer 29 February 1996 "Kiribati" is pronounced Kirribarce (accent on the first syllable), and is a rendering into an Oceanic language form of the English name Gilberts (the shorthand form of the Gilbert Islands' name). So in one sense it didn't really change its name, just the spelling. Stuart Park 29 February 1996 The sun has 17 rays (because there are 16 atolls in the Gilbert Islands group, plus Banaba, former Ocean Island = 17); there are 3 main waves under the sun (because there are 3 groups of islands in the republic: Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands). These symbols have been decided by Sir Arthur Grimble for the Colony flag, capital on Ocean Islands (but of course, at that time, the Ellice Islands were also part of the colony). Vincenzo Guglielmelli, 31 August 2004 The Kiribati National Identity Act 1989 includes precise construction details for the whole flag, including frigate bird, sun and sea waves.

Antonio Guti�rrez, 17 February 2007 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics ( Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Kiribati: PMS 032 red, 109 yellow, 286 blue and black. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012 In a letter to the Western Pacific High Commissioner, it was written (concerning the badge): Sea. Represents the space of the ocean in which the colony is isolated. Sun. The islands lie close to the 180 degree meridian. Sun is either rising or setting. Bird.

Frigate bird (Fregat Aquilla) symbolises power, poise and freedom. To the natives it is a sign of sovereignty and kingly birth, and highly regarded as such. A.G. 15 August 1931. A.G. may have been Arthur Grimble, who wrote a book 'Pattern of Islands' (in the USA 'We Chose the Islands'), published 1952, about his time as a Colonial Administrator in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. As originally proposed, the badge had a crown, on the shield, above the frigate bird, but this was removed by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee. David Prothero, 11 May 2004 A government publication produced in 1984 show the details of the flag of Kiribati. There are two pages, one shows the flag captioned "The National Flag of Kiribati" (with very minor differences to what we have above, most notably the beak of the bird and the waves seems somewhat "flatter"). The other page contains the following text: Official description The bird is a frigate bird which represents power, freedom and Kiribati cultural dance patterns.

The rising sun is the tropical sun as Kiribati lies astride the Equator. The sea is the Pacific Ocean which surrounds Kiribati. The dimensions of the flag i.e. the length is twice the breadth. Colours: Frigate bird, sun and sun rays - Gold BSI 381C No. 355 & Admirality colour T 8514M Sky - Red BSI 581C No. 539, Admirality colour T 8514H & C.A. pattern M.P. 2362 Wavy Bands - Blue BSI 381C No. 110 & C.A. Pattern M.P. 2358 Wavy bands - White, plain Admirality colour T 8514J & C.A. Pattern M.P.

2363 Željko Heimer, 2 May 2004 Coat of Arms by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 18 March 2007 The Kiribatian coats of arms, was first granted to the Colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands on May 1, 1937, and slightly modified on July 12, 1979, when Kiribati achieved independence from Britain. The motto reads: "Te mauri te raoi ao te tabomoa" (Heath, Peace, Prosperity) in Kiribatian language. Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002 According to "The Flag Bulletin" XVIII:4 (july-august 1979) page 119 - the motto means "Well Being, Peace, and Prosperity".

Christian Berghänel, 03 December 2002 "Te Mauri", in the motto, means "Health", "Well being" but it's also the normal greeting for "Hello!' Vincenzo Guglielmelli, 11 March 2003 Coat of Arms 1937-1979 by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002 The motto reads: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu' (Fear God and Honour the King) in both Gilbertan (Kiribatian) and Tuvaluan languages. Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002 See also: Photos of possible Kiribati municipal or atoll flags can be found at . Jens Pattke, 21 September 2006 It's not clear what the status of these is. The Tabueran and Kiritimati Is photos show something in the form of a flag, but the others are banners on two poles.

The Maiana banner is clearly specifically for the National Championships, and I wonder how many of the others were too. Nonouti and Tab North would seem to be, but I suspect they are not the only ones. The exception is the Betio Town Council photo, which shows a flag in front of a banner (with text only). The flag cannot be seen completely, but seems to be a red-blue-green vertical tricolour, with three blue and two white wavy horizontal stripes across the middle of at least the red and green sections, and yellow five pointed stars. Four stars are visible, one a the top of the red section, one at the bottom of the blue and two in the green section. Jonathan Dixon, 21 September 2006 Civil Ensign (?) I saw today a TV show in German TV, which was showing scenes of the Southern Seas. The cruise ship had in harbour a flag on the bow, which looked like the coat of arms of Kiribati in the center of a blue flag. I had just a glimpse and the ship was at that moment officially in a Chilean harbour, but who knows, what the cutter did? So, is there a civil ensign of Kiribati? J.

Patrick Fischer, 1 January 2011 So, in other words, it's exactly the same as the government ensign of the Gilbert & Ellice Islands pre-Kiribati independence in 1979? David Kendall, 1 January 2011 Customs The Customs Acts of 1993 and 2005 do not prescribe a particular Customs flag. The Customs flag up to about 1993 had a Union canton, blue upper fly and white lower flag half with 'HMC' in bold black thereon. The same design was prescribed for the British Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu, and a similar one with the red cross canton for Tonga. Jeff Thomson, 23 November 2015 The Spanish Flag - Flag of Spain | donQuijote Read the Spanish version The Spanish flag has undergone various changes over its history. The red and yellow flag we know today, often referred to in Spanish as the rojigualda, was originally designed after the flag of the Spanish merchant and war marines during the reign of Carlos III (1785).

The first flag to represent all of Spain was the Cross of Burgundy, which was used until 1793 and which continued to be used as an ensign of the Spanish Empire until 1898. During the period of Spain’s 2nd Republic (1931-39), the national flag bore the colors red, yellow, and purple, in three horizontal bands. Under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the flag lost the color purple that had appeared on the Republican flag, and incorporated two important symbols: the eagle and the shield of the Catholic monarchy. In 1977, two years after Franco's death, the eagle was slightly modified, and in 1981 it would disappear completely, leaving the current red/yellow/red with crowned arms. The new Spanish flag has three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width) and red, with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band. The shield includes the royal seal, which is flanked by two crowned pillars (the Pillars of Hercules) bearing the inscription Plus Ultra. According to Spanish legislation, the height of the coat of arms should measure two fifths of the flag's width (i.e.

hoist), and should appear in the middle of the yellow stripe. The flag's usual proportions are a length measuring three halves its width, in which case the distance from the hoist of the shield's vertical axis should be half the flag's width. In other instances (should the flag be either shorter in length or square) the coat of arms should appear in the center. The Spanish Flag

Question: What colour is the cross on the national flag of Tonga?
Answer: Red