Marshall Islands

3×5' nylon national flag of the Marshall Islands.

The flag of the Marshall Islands was designed by the country's first First Lady, Emlain Kabua. Its two widening rays describe the nation's two parallel island chains, Ratak ("sunrise") and Ralik ("sunset").

Design

A blue field with two diagonal stripes, orange above white, rising from the lower hoist and widening toward the upper fly. A white star of 24 points sits in the upper hoist; four of its points are longer than the rest.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 1 May 1979, when the Marshall Islands became self-governing. Blue stands for the Pacific, orange for Ratak, for bravery and for the sunrise, and white for Ralik, for peace and the sunset. The stripes together also suggest the equator, and the star sits just north of it, as the islands do. The 24 points stand for the electoral districts, and the four long points form a cross for Christianity.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 1 May 1979
• Official proportions: 10:19
• Colors: blue, orange, white
• Emblem: 24-pointed star

Vexillographer's Note

The Marshall Islands shares the US flag's 10:19 ratio, a legacy of its long association with the United States.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864