Vanuatu

3×5' nylon national flag of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu's flag carries a curled boar's tusk, a traditional symbol of prosperity, wrapped around two leaves of the namele fern, a symbol of peace. The yellow Y across the flag traces the shape of the island chain.

Design

A horizontal yellow Y, edged in black, divides red above from green below and opens from a black triangle at the hoist. In the triangle are a yellow boar's tusk and two crossed namele leaves.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 18 February 1980, months before independence from British and French joint rule. Red stands for the blood of boars and of the people, green for the richness of the islands, black for the Melanesian people, and yellow for sunshine and the light of the Gospel.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 18 February 1980
• Official proportions: 3:5
• Colors: red, green, black, yellow
• Emblem: boar's tusk and namele leaves

Vexillographer's Note

The namele leaves have 39 leaflets, one for each member of the original legislature. Its 3:5 ratio matches our 3×5' size exactly.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864