Kiribati

3×5' nylon national flag of Kiribati.

Kiribati flies one of the few true armorial banners among national flags: its coat of arms spread across the whole field. It is also one of the most pictorial, a frigatebird above a rising sun over the Pacific.

Design

The upper half is red, bearing a gold frigatebird flying over a gold rising sun with 17 rays. The lower half is blue with three wavy white bands.

History & Symbolism

The design comes from the arms granted to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1937, drawn up by the colonial administrator Arthur Grimble. At independence on 12 July 1979 islanders chose this banner over a proposed design that kept colonial elements. The frigatebird stands for strength and freedom; the 17 rays for the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba; the three white bands for the island groups of the Gilberts, Phoenix and Line Islands, set on the ocean that joins them.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 12 July 1979
• Official proportions: 1:2
• Colors: red, gold, blue, white
• Emblem: frigatebird over a rising sun, 17 rays

Vexillographer's Note

The rising sun suits a nation that sits partly at UTC+14 and is among the first in the world to see each new day.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864