1.
Glossary of vexillology
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Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display. Badge A coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol, canton Any quarter of a flag, but commonly means the upper hoist quarter, such as the field of stars in the flag of the United States or the Union Jack in the Australian Flag. Charge A figure or symbol appearing in the field of a flag, emblem A device often used as a charge on a flag. It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag, field The background of a flag, the color behind the charges. Fimbriation A narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, for example the white and gold lines of the South African Flag. Fly The half or edge of a flag farthest away from the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the horizontal length of a flag. Hoist The half or edge of a flag nearest to the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the vertical width of a flag. Length The span of a flag along the side at right angles to the flagpole, width The span of a flag down the side parallel to the flagpole. Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs and as a result patterns often share names, banderole or bannerol A small flag or streamer carried on the lance of a knight, or a long narrow flag flying from the mast-head of a ship. Banner Generically, a synonym for a flag of any kind, in heraldry, a flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms, but usually in a square or rectangular shape, also known as a banner of arms. Burgee A distinguishing flag of a recreational boating organisation, Civil ensign, merchant flag or merchant ensign A version of the national flag flown by civil ships to denote nationality. Civil flag A version of the flag flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. Colour or color The flag of a military unit, courtesy flag or courtesy ensign A flag flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. Ensign The flag of a ship or military unit, may also be used generically as a synonym for a flag of any kind. Fanion A small flag used by the French military, gonfalon, gonfanon or gonfalone A type of heraldic flag suspended from a crossbar. Guidon A small flag borne by a military unit, in Scots heraldry, a smaller version of the Standard. Pennon or pennant A flag larger at the hoist than at the fly, pipe banner A decorative flag for the Scottish Highland bagpipes. Prayer flag A type of flag found strung along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas, rank flag or distinguishing flag The flag flown by a superior naval officer on his flagship or headquarters
2.
National flag
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A national flag is a flag that symbolizes a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can also be flown by citizens of the country, historically, flags originate as military standards, used as field signs. The practice of flying flags indicating the country of origin outside of the context of warfare became common with the flag, introduced during the age of sail. Most countries of Europe adopted a flag in the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The specifications of the flag of Denmark were codified in 1748, the flag of Switzerland was introduced in 1889, also based on medieval war flags. The Netherlands introduced two national flags in 1813, the Ottoman flag was adopted in 1844. Other non-European powers followed the trend in the late 19th century, the flag of Japan being introduced in 1870, the Flag of the United States is not defined in the constitution but rather in a separate Flag Resolution passed in 1777. Minor design changes of national flags are passed on a legislative or executive level. A change in national flag is due to a change of regime. In such cases, the origins of the national flag. In such cases national flags acquire the status of a political symbol, the flag of Germany, for instance, was a tricolour of black-white-red under the German Empire, inherited from the North German Confederation. The Weimar Republic that followed adopted a black-red-gold tricolour, nazi Germany went back to black-white-red in 1933, and black-red-gold was reinstituted by the two successor states, West Germany and East Germany following World War II. Similarly the flag of Libya introduced with the creation of the Kingdom of Libya in 1951 was abandoned in 1969 with the coup led by Muammar Gaddafi. It was used again by National Transitional Council and by anti-Gaddafi forces during the Libyan Civil War in 2011 and officially adopted by the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration. There are three types of national flag for use on land, and three for use at sea, though many countries use identical designs for several of these types of flag. On land, there is a distinction between civil flags, state flags, and war or military flags, state flags are those used officially by government agencies, whereas civil flags may be flown by anyone regardless of whether they are linked to government. War flags are used by organisations such as Armies, Marine Corps. In practice, many countries have identical flags for these three purposes, national flag is used as a vexillological term to refer to such a three-purpose flag
3.
Ensign
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Ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern of the ship, the naval ensign, used on warships, may be different from the civil ensign or the yacht ensign. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle, the ensign differs from the jack which is flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel. In its widest sense, an ensign is just a flag or other standard, the European military rank of ensign, once responsible for bearing a units standard derives from it. In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign, liwa, derives from the command of a unit or units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a units ensign, and is a general officer. In Arab armies, ensign is a title equivalent to a Western brigade. In nautical use, the ensign is flown on a ship or boat to indicate its appartenance, while this includes its nationality, it may well indicate more information rather than being the national flag itself. This is particularly common for commonwealth and European countries, ensigns are usually at the stern flagstaff when in port, and may be shifted to a gaff or mast amidships when the ship is under way, becoming known as a steaming ensign. Vexillologists distinguish three varieties of a national flag used as an ensign, A civil ensign is worn by merchant. In some countries the yacht ensign, used on boats or ships instead of merchant vessels. A state ensign or government ensign is worn by government vessels, a naval ensign is used by a countrys navy. Such ensigns are strictly regulated and indicate if the vessel is a warship, a merchant ship, several Commonwealth countries national flags had their origin in the ensigns of their original colonising power, the United Kingdom. Most notable of these flags are those of Australia, New Zealand. It is also likely that the original design from which the flag of the United States developed was strongly influenced by the British Red Ensign or the flag of the East India Company. With the creation of independent air forces and the growth in aviation in the first half of the 20th century. These may be divided into air force ensigns and civil air ensigns, in heraldry, an ensign is the ornament or sign, such as the crown, coronet, or mitre, borne above the charge or arms. Distinguishing mark Maritime flag Znamierowski, Alfred, the world encyclopedia of flags, The definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns
4.
Flag
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A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or as decoration. National flags are patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original, flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin word vexillum, due to the use of flags by military units, flag is also used as the name of some military units. A flag is equivalent to a brigade in Arab countries, and in Spain, in antiquity, field signs or standards were used in warfare that can be categorized as vexilloid or flag-like. During the High Middle Ages flags came to be used primarily as a device in battle. Already during the medieval period, and increasingly during the Late Middle Ages. Regimental flags for individual units became commonplace during the Early Modern period, flags also became the preferred means of communications at sea, resulting in various systems of flag signals, see, International maritime signal flags. One of the most popular uses of a flag is to symbolize a nation or country, some national flags have been particularly inspirational to other nations, countries, or subnational entities in the design of their own flags. Some prominent examples include, The flag of Denmark, the Dannebrog, is attested in 1478, the flag of the Netherlands is the oldest tricolour. Its three colours of red, white and blue go back to Charlemagnes time, the 9th century, the coastal region of what today is the Netherlands was then known for its cloth in these colours. Maps from the early 16th century already put flags in these colours next to this region, a century before that, during the 15th century, the three colours were mentioned as the coastal signals for this area, with the three bands straight or diagonal, single or doubled. As state flag it first appeared around 1572 as the Princes Flag in orange–white–blue, soon the more famous red–white–blue began appearing, becoming the prevalent version from around 1630. Orange made a comeback during the war of the late 18th century. During World War II the pro-Nazi NSB used it, any symbolism has been added later to the three colours, although the orange comes from the House of Orange-Nassau. This use of orange comes from Nassau, which today uses orange-blue, not from Orange, however, the usual way to show the link with the House of Orange-Nassau is the orange pennant above the red-white-blue. It is said that the Dutch Tricolour has inspired many flags but most notably those of Russia, New York City, the national flag of France was designed in 1794. As a forerunner of revolution, Frances tricolour flag style has been adopted by other nations, examples, Italy, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Haiti, Romania and Mexico. The Union Flag of the United Kingdom is the most commonly used, british colonies typically flew a flag based on one of the ensigns based on this flag, and many former colonies have retained the design to acknowledge their cultural history
5.
Kiribati
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Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The permanent population is just over 100,000, more than half of live on Tarawa Atoll. The nation comprises 33 atolls and reef islands and one raised coral island and they have a total land area of 800 square kilometres and are dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometers. Their spread straddles the equator and the 180th meridian, although the International Date Line is indented to bring the Line Islands in the day as the Kiribati Islands. The International Date Line circumscribes Kiribati by swinging far to the east, almost reaching the 150°W meridian, Kiribatis easternmost islands, the southern Line Islands south of Hawaii, have the most advanced time on Earth, UTC+14 hours. Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979, the capital and now most populated area, South Tarawa, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways. These comprise about half the area of Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. The name Kiribati was adopted at independence and it is local enunciation of Gilberts. This name derives from the archipelago that forms the nation. It was named the Gilbert Islands after the British explorer Thomas Gilbert and he sighted many of the islands in 1788 while mapping out the Outer Passage route from Port Jackson to Canton. The Kiribati archipelago was named Îles Gilbert, in about 1820, by Russian admiral Adam von Krusenstern, both their maps, published in 1820, were written in French. The archipelagos name was incorporated in the entire Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916, the spelling of Gilberts in the Gilbertese language as Kiribati may be found in books in Gilbertese prepared by missionaries and others. It is often suggested that the name for the Gilbert Islands proper is Tungaru. The pronunciation differs, Kiribas is the pronunciation as ti in Kiribatese makes an s sound. The area now called Kiribati has been inhabited by Micronesians speaking the same Oceanic language since sometime between 3000 BC and AD1300, the area was not isolated, invaders from Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji, later introduced Polynesian and Melanesian cultural aspects, respectively. Intermarriage tended to blur cultural differences and resulted in a significant degree of cultural homogenisation, chance visits by European ships occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries, as these ships attempted circumnavigations of the world or sought sailing routes from the south to north Pacific Ocean. The passing trade gave rise to European, Chinese, Samoan and other residents from the 1830s, they included beachcombers, castaways, traders and missionaries. In 1892 local authorities on each of the Gilbert Islands agreed to Captain Davis RN declaring them part of a British protectorate with the nearby Ellice Islands
6.
Frigatebird
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Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a genus, Fregata. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails, females have white underbellies and males have a distinctive red gular pouch, which they inflate during the breeding season to attract females. Their wings are long and pointed and can span up to 2.3 metres, able to soar for weeks on wind currents, frigatebirds spend most of the day in flight hunting for food, and roost on trees or cliffs at night. Their main prey are fish and squid, caught when chased to the surface by large predators such as tuna. Frigatebirds are referred to as kleptoparasites as they occasionally rob other seabirds for food, a rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season, the duration of parental care is among the longest of any bird species, frigatebirds are only able to breed every other year. The Fregatidae are a group to Suloidea which consists of cormorants, darters, gannets. Three of the five extant species of frigatebirds are widespread, while two are endangered and restrict their breeding habitat to one island each. The oldest fossils date to the early Eocene, around 50 million years ago, classified in the genus Limnofregata, the three species had shorter, less-hooked bills and longer legs, and lived in a freshwater environment. The term Frigate Bird itself was used in 1738 by the English naturalist, the book included an illustration of the male bird showing the red gular pouch. Like the genus name, the English term is derived from the French mariners name for the bird la frégate—a frigate or fast warship, the etymology was mentioned by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre when describing the bird in 1667. Christopher Columbus encountered frigatebirds when passing the Cape Verde Islands on his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492, in his journal entry for 29 September he used the word rabiforçado, modern Spanish rabihorcado or forktail. In the Caribbean frigatebirds were called Man-of-War birds by English mariners and his Wings are very long, his feet are like other Land-fowl, and he builds on Trees, where he finds any, but where they are wanting on the ground. Frigatebirds were grouped with cormorants, and sulids as well as pelicans in the genus Pelecanus by Linnaeus in 1758 in the edition of his Systema Naturae. He described the characteristics as a straight bill hooked at the tip, linear nostrils, a bare face. The genus Fregata was defined by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799, louis Jean Pierre Vieillot described the genus name Tachypetes in 1816 for the great frigatebird. The genus name Atagen had been coined by German naturalist Paul Möhring in 1752, in 1874, English zoologist Alfred Henry Garrod published a study where he had examined various groups of birds and recorded which muscles of a selected group of five they possessed or lacked
7.
Ocean
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An ocean is a body of saline water that composes much of a planets hydrosphere. On Earth, an ocean is one of the major divisions of the World Ocean. These are, in descending order by area, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, the word sea is often used interchangeably with ocean in American English but, strictly speaking, a sea is a body of saline water partly or fully enclosed by land. The ocean contains 97% of Earths water, and oceanographers have stated that less than 5% of the World Ocean has been explored, the total volume is approximately 1.35 billion cubic kilometers with an average depth of nearly 3,700 meters. As the world ocean is the component of Earths hydrosphere, it is integral to all known life, forms part of the carbon cycle. The world ocean is the habitat of 230,000 known species, but because much of it is unexplored, the origin of Earths oceans remains unknown, oceans are thought to have formed in the Hadean period and may have been the impetus for the emergence of life. Extraterrestrial oceans may be composed of water or other elements and compounds, the only confirmed large stable bodies of extraterrestrial surface liquids are the lakes of Titan, although there is evidence for the existence of oceans elsewhere in the Solar System. Early in their histories, Mars and Venus are theorized to have had large water oceans. The Mars ocean hypothesis suggests that nearly a third of the surface of Mars was once covered by water, compounds such as salts and ammonia dissolved in water lower its freezing point so that water might exist in large quantities in extraterrestrial environments as brine or convecting ice. Unconfirmed oceans are speculated beneath the surface of many planets and natural satellites, notably. The Solar Systems giant planets are thought to have liquid atmospheric layers of yet to be confirmed compositions. Oceans may also exist on exoplanets and exomoons, including surface oceans of water within a circumstellar habitable zone. Ocean planets are a type of planet with a surface completely covered with liquid. The concept of Ōkeanós has an Indo-European connection, Greek Ōkeanós has been compared to the Vedic epithet ā-śáyāna-, predicated of the dragon Vṛtra-, who captured the cows/rivers. Related to this notion, the Okeanos is represented with a dragon-tail on some early Greek vases, though generally described as several separate oceans, these waters comprise one global, interconnected body of salt water sometimes referred to as the World Ocean or global ocean. This concept of a body of water with relatively free interchange among its parts is of fundamental importance to oceanography. The major oceanic divisions – listed below in descending order of area and volume – are defined in part by the continents, various archipelagos, Oceans are fringed by smaller, adjoining bodies of water such as seas, gulfs, bays, bights, and straits. The Mid-Oceanic Ridge of the World are connected and form the Ocean Ridge, the continuous mountain range is 65,000 km long, and the total length of the oceanic ridge system is 80,000 km long
8.
Gilbert Islands
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The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean about halfway between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. They form the part of Kiribati. The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands are arranged in an approximate north-to-south line, as the crow flies it is approximately 420 nautical miles between the northernmost island, Makin, and the southernmost, Arorae. In a geographical sense, the equator serves as the line between the northern Gilbert Islands and the southern Gilbert Islands. The International Hydrographic Organization considers the Gilberts wholly within the South Pacific Ocean, another method of grouping the Gilbert Islands is by former administrative districts, the Northern, Central, and Southern Gilberts. A group of the southern Gilberts is called the Kingsmill Group, the Gilberts form a continuous chain of seamounts with the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands to the north. In official north-south order, the islands and atolls are, The Northern Gilberts geographically and traditionally encompass Butaritari, Makin, Marakei, Abaiang and they have unique tonal accents with differences particularly noted amongst Butaritari and Makin inhabitants. Traditionally, Butaritari and Makin were ruled by a chief who lived on Butaritari Island, the northern Gilberts have a greater mean rainfall in comparison to the southern and central Gilberts allowing cultivation of a wider crop range. Butaritari and Makin supply most of the bananas sold in Kiribati, the cultivation of taro or babai has been historically easier in the northern Gilberts due to a higher water table and regular rainfall. The Central Gilberts or nuka have traditionally included Maiana, Abemama, Kuria, however, the latter three are considered the main islands that have unique historical and cultural characteristics which distinguish the Central Gilberts from the north and south. Tembinok, the last king of Abemama, Kuria and Aranuka died in the part of the 20th century. The Southern Gilberts include the atolls of Nonouti, South and North Tabiteuea, Beru, Nikunau, Onotoa, Tamana, the islands had been inhabited by Micronesians for several millennia. In 1606 Pedro Fernandes de Queirós sighted Butaritari and Makin, which he named the Buen Viaje Islands, Captain John Byron passed through the islands in 1764 during his circumnavigation of the globe as captain of HMS Dolphin. French captain Louis Duperrey was the first to map the whole Gilbert Islands archipelago and he commanded La Coquille on its circumnavigation of the earth. Two ships of the United States Exploring Expedition, USS Peacock and USS Flying Fish, under the command of Captain Hudson, while in the Gilberts, they devoted considerable time to mapping and charting reefs and anchorages. A British protectorate was first proclaimed over the Gilberts by Captain Davis of HMS Royalist on 27 May 1892, British official Arthur Mahaffy visited the Islands in 1909. He noted that the villages are kept in order and the roads are scrupulously clean. A hospital was on island, as well
9.
Phoenix Islands
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The Phoenix Islands or Rawaki are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs, lying in the central Pacific Ocean east of the Gilbert Islands and west of the Line Islands. They are a part of the Republic of Kiribati, during the late 1930s, they became the site of the last attempted colonial expansion of the British Empire through the Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, established in 2008, is one of the worlds largest protected areas, the group is uninhabited except for a few families on Kanton. The United States unincorporated territories of Baker Island and Howland Island are often considered northerly outliers of the group, Howland and Baker are statistically grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands, however. The United States previously claimed all the Phoenix Islands under the Guano Islands Act, the Treaty of Tarawa released all US claims to the Phoenix Islands, excluding Baker and Howland. At various times, the islands were considered part of the Gilbert group, the name Phoenix for this group of islands seems to have been settled on in the 1840s, after an island of that name within the group. Phoenix Island was probably named after one of the many whaleships of that name plying these waters in the early 19th century, the Phoenix Islands are a group of eight islands, totalling 28 square kilometres in land area, located in the central Pacific, north of Samoa. The chain comprises a portion of Kiribati, the only island of any commercial importance is Kanton Island. The other islands include Enderbury, Rawaki, Manra, Birnie, McKean, Nikumaroro, Kanton, or Abariringa Island, is the northernmost and sole inhabited island in the Phoenix group. It is a ribbon of land 9 km2, enclosing a lagoon of approximately 40 km2. Kanton is mostly bare coral, covered with herbs, bunch grasses, low shrubs and its lagoon teems with 153 known species of marine life, including sharks, tuna, stingrays and eels. Land fauna includes at least 23 bird species, lizards, rats, hermit crabs, today, the island still exhibits the remains of the airline and military presence, with 41 persons residing there, most living in abandoned structures from the U. S. /UK occupation. Enderbury is a low, flat, small coral atoll lying 63 km ESE of Kanton and its lagoon is rather tiny, comprising only a small percentage of the islands area. Herbs, bunchgrass, morning-glory vines and a few clumps of trees form the main vegetation on the island, while birds, rats and a species of beetle are the known fauna. Heavily mined for guano in the late 19th century, Enderbury has seen little human impact following the evacuation of the last few colonists in 1942, during World War II. Birnie Island is a small, flat coral island about 20 hectares in area and it contains a tiny lagoon, which has all but dried up. A nesting place for flocks of seabirds, Birnie is devoid of trees and is covered with low shrubs. Unlike most of the other Phoenix Islands, Birnie does not appear to have worked for guano or otherwise exploited by humans
10.
Banaba Island
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Banaba Island, an island in the Pacific Ocean, is a solitary raised coral island west of the Gilbert Island chain and 185 miles east of Nauru. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati and it has an area of 6.0 km², and the highest point on the island is also the highest point in Kiribati, at 81 metres high. Along with Nauru and Makatea, it is one of the important elevated phosphate-rich islands of the Pacific, the name Banaba in the local Gilbertese language is correctly spelled Bwanaba, but the Constitution of 12 July 1979 writes Banaba, meaning hollow land. Sigrah makes the assertion that Banabans are ethnically distinct from other I-Kiribati. The Banabans were assimilated only through forced migrations and the impact of the discovery of phosphate in 1900, there used to be four villages on the island - Ooma, Tabiang, Tapiwa, and Buakonikai. The local capital was Tabiang, now called Antereen, the first European sighting of Banaba occurred on 3 January 1801. Captain Jared Gardner in the American vessel Diana sighted the island, then in 1804, Captain John Mertho of the convict transport and merchant ship Ocean sighted the island and named it after his vessel. Banaba is prone to drought, as it is an island with no natural streams. The terms of the licenses were changed to provide for the payment of royalties, the Pacific Phosphate Company mined the phosphate from 1900 to 1919. In 1913 an anonymous correspondent to the New Age journal criticised the operation of the PPC under the title Modern buccaneers in the West Pacific, in 1919 the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand took over the operations of the Pacific Phosphate Company. The Phosphate rock-mining, which was carried out from 1900 to 1979, stripped away 90% of the islands surface, japanese forces occupied the island from 26 August 1942 until the end of World War II in 1945. The British authorities relocated most of the population to Rabi Island, Fiji after 1945, with subsequent waves of emigration in 1977, some have subsequently returned, following the end of mining in 1979, approximately 300 were living on the island in 2001. The population of Banaba in the 2010 census was 295, globally, there are an estimated 6000 individuals of Banaban descent. On Rabi Island the names of settlements are the same authentic four names from Banaba Island, Ocean Island Post Office opened on 1 January 1911 and was renamed Banaba around 1979. The claim for the beach to be restored, from the 1948 agreement, was now time barred, the replanting obligations under the 1913 agreement was binding, but also it was limited to what was reasonably practicable. The woodland of Banaba is now limited to the area and is made up mostly of mangoes, flame trees, guavas, tapioca. Having been mined for over 80 years, the centre of the island has no soil and is uninhabitable, the villages of Tabiang, Buakonikai and Tabwewa are now unoccupied. Banaba had three inhabited villages in the 2010 census, Tabwewa, Antereen and Umwa, Banaba Island features a tropical rainforest climate, under Köppens climate classification
11.
Pacific Ocean
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The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the Earths oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, the Mariana Trench in the western North Pacific is the deepest point in the world, reaching a depth of 10,911 metres. Both the center of the Water Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere are in the Pacific Ocean, the oceans current name was coined by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Spanish circumnavigation of the world in 1521, as he encountered favourable winds on reaching the ocean. He called it Mar Pacífico, which in both Portuguese and Spanish means peaceful sea, important human migrations occurred in the Pacific in prehistoric times. Long-distance trade developed all along the coast from Mozambique to Japan, trade, and therefore knowledge, extended to the Indonesian islands but apparently not Australia. By at least 878 when there was a significant Islamic settlement in Canton much of trade was controlled by Arabs or Muslims. In 219 BC Xu Fu sailed out into the Pacific searching for the elixir of immortality, from 1404 to 1433 Zheng He led expeditions into the Indian Ocean. The east side of the ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 after his expedition crossed the Isthmus of Panama and he named it Mar del Sur because the ocean was to the south of the coast of the isthmus where he first observed the Pacific. Later, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed the Pacific East to West on a Castilian expedition of world circumnavigation starting in 1519, Magellan called the ocean Pacífico because, after sailing through the stormy seas off Cape Horn, the expedition found calm waters. The ocean was often called the Sea of Magellan in his honor until the eighteenth century, sailing around and east of the Moluccas, between 1525 and 1527, Portuguese expeditions discovered the Caroline Islands, the Aru Islands, and Papua New Guinea. In 1542–43 the Portuguese also reached Japan, in 1564, five Spanish ships consisting of 379 explorers crossed the ocean from Mexico led by Miguel López de Legazpi and sailed to the Philippines and Mariana Islands. The Manila galleons operated for two and a half centuries linking Manila and Acapulco, in one of the longest trade routes in history, Spanish expeditions also discovered Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific. In the 16th and 17th century Spain considered the Pacific Ocean a Mare clausum—a sea closed to other naval powers, as the only known entrance from the Atlantic the Strait of Magellan was at times patrolled by fleets sent to prevent entrance of non-Spanish ships. On the western end of the Pacific Ocean the Dutch threatened the Spanish Philippines, Spain also sent expeditions to the Pacific Northwest reaching Vancouver Island in southern Canada, and Alaska. The French explored and settled Polynesia, and the British made three voyages with James Cook to the South Pacific and Australia, Hawaii, and the North American Pacific Northwest, one of the earliest voyages of scientific exploration was organized by Spain in the Malaspina Expedition of 1789–1794. It sailed vast areas of the Pacific, from Cape Horn to Alaska, Guam and the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, and the South Pacific. Growing imperialism during the 19th century resulted in the occupation of much of Oceania by other European powers, and later, Japan, in Oceania, France got a leading position as imperial power after making Tahiti and New Caledonia protectorates in 1842 and 1853 respectively. After navy visits to Easter Island in 1875 and 1887, Chilean navy officer Policarpo Toro managed to negotiate an incorporation of the island into Chile with native Rapanui in 1888, by occupying Easter Island, Chile joined the imperial nations
12.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
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A referendum was held in December 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976, the Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the western Pacific Ocean that are recognised as part of the Micronesia subregion of Oceania. The Gilbert Islands are the part of what is now Republic of Kiribati The atolls. In a geographical sense, the equator serves as the line between the northern Gilbert Islands and the southern Gilbert Islands. The Ellice Islands are south of the Gilbert Islands, the Ellice Islands comprises three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176° to 180°, west of the International Date Line. The Ellice Islands are midway between Hawaii and Australia, the Ellice Islands are recognised as part of the Polynesia subregion of Oceania. In 1606 Pedro Fernandes de Queirós sighted Butaritari and Makin, which he named the Buen Viaje Islands, french captain Louis Duperrey was the first to map the whole Gilbert Islands archipelago. He commanded La Coquille on its circumnavigation of the earth, Funafuti atoll was named Ellices Island after Edward Ellice, a British politician and merchant, by Captain Arent de Peyster, who sighted the islands in 1819 sailing on the ship Rebecca. Ellice owned the cargo of the ship, the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands, of what is now Tuvalu, after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were formerly designated an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code GE until 1977, a protectorate was generally established over this area by the Pacific Islanders Protection Act of 1857 and then in 1877 for the Western Pacific Territories. The sixteen islands of the Gilberts were declared a British Protectorate by Captain Davis R. N. of HMS Royalist between 27 May and 17 June 1892. The Ellice Islands were declared a British Protectorate by Captain Gibson R. N. of HMS Curacoa, the British Western Pacific Territories were administered by a High Commissioner resident in Fiji. A Resident Commissioner, Charles Swayne, was appointed for the Ellice Islands in 1892 and he was succeeded by W. Telfer Campbell in 1896, who established himself on Tarawa Atoll and remained in office until 1908. The role of the British colonial authorities emphasised the procurement of labour for the Ocean Island phosphate mining and keeping order among the workers, the islands became a Crown colony on 12 January 1916 by the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council,1915. The Union Islands were transferred to New Zealand in 1926, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony continued to be administered by a Resident Commissioner. In 1930 the Resident Commissioner, Arthur Grimble, issued revised laws, Regulations for the good Order and Cleanliness of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937. Banaba Island remained the headquarters of the colony until the British evacuation in 1942 during the Pacific War when Ocean Island, the United States forces landed in Funafuti on 2 October 1942 and on Nanumea and Nukufetau in August 1943 and constructed an airfield on each island and other bases. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during the preparation for the Battle of Tarawa, colonel Fox-Strangways, was the Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1941, who was located on Funafuti
13.
Tuvalu
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It comprises three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176° to 180°, west of the International Date Line. Tuvalu has a population of 10,640, the total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres. The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians, in 1568, Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to sail through the archipelago, sighting the island of Nui during his expedition in search of Terra Australis. In 1819 the island of Funafuti was named Ellices Island, the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay. A referendum was held in December 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands, as a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence. Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978, on 5 September 2000 Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations. The origins of the people of Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regarding migration into the Pacific that began about 3000 years ago, during pre-European-contact times there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands including Samoa and Tonga. Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited, thus the name, Tuvalu, possible evidence of fire in the Caves of Nanumanga may indicate human occupation for thousands of years. The stories as to the ancestors of the Tuvaluans vary from island to island, on Niutao, Funafuti and Vaitupu the founding ancestor is described as being from Samoa, whereas on Nanumea the founding ancestor is described as being from Tonga. Mendaña made contact with the islanders but was unable to land, during Mendañas second voyage across the Pacific he passed Niulakita on 29 August 1595, which he named La Solitaria. Captain John Byron passed through the islands of Tuvalu in 1764 during his circumnavigation of the globe as captain of the Dolphin, Byron charted the atolls as Lagoon Islands. Chambers and Doug Munro identified Niutao as the island that Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa sailed past on 5 May 1781, mourelles map and journal named the island El Gran Cocal, however, the latitude and longitude was uncertain. Longitude could only be reckoned crudely as accurate chronometers were unavailable until the late 18th century, the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay. In 1820 the Russian explorer Mikhail Lazarev visited Nukufetau as commander of the Mirny, Louis Isidore Duperrey, captain of La Coquille, sailed past Nanumanga in May 1824 during a circumnavigation of the earth. A Dutch expedition found Nui on the morning of 14 June 1825, whalers began roving the Pacific, although visiting Tuvalu only infrequently because of the difficulties of landing on the atolls. Captain George Barrett of the Nantucket whaler Independence II has been identified as the first whaler to hunt the waters around Tuvalu, in November 1821 he bartered coconuts from the people of Nukulaelae and also visited Niulakita. A shore camp was established on Sakalua islet of Nukufetau, where coal was used to melt down the whale blubber, the Rev. A. W. Elekana began proselytising Christianity. He was trained at Malua Theological College, a London Missionary Society school in Samoa, in 1865 the Rev. A. W. Murray of the LMS – a Protestant congregationalist missionary society – arrived as the first European missionary where he too proselytised among the inhabitants of Tuvalu
14.
College of Arms
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The College is also the official body responsible for matters relating to the flying of flags on land, and it maintains the official registers of flags and other national symbols. Though a part of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the College is self-financed, unsupported by any public funds, founded by royal charter in 1484 by King Richard III, the College is one of the few remaining official heraldic authorities in Europe. Within the United Kingdom, there are two authorities, the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland and the College for the rest of the United Kingdom. The College has had its home in the City of London since its foundation, the College of Arms also undertakes and consults on the planning of many ceremonial occasions such as coronations, state funerals, the annual Garter Service and the State Opening of Parliament. Heralds of the College accompany the sovereign on many of these occasions, the College comprises thirteen officers or heralds, three Kings of Arms, six Heralds of Arms and four Pursuivants of Arms. There are also seven officers extraordinary, who take part in ceremonial occasions but are not part of the College, the entire corporation is overseen by the Earl Marshal, a hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk, currently Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. King Richard IIIs interest in heraldry was indicated by his possession of two important rolls of arms, while still Duke of Gloucester and Constable of England for his brother from 1469, he in the latter capacity supervised the heralds and made plans for the reform of their organisation. Soon after his accession to the throne he created Sir John Howard as Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England, who became the first Howard appointed to both positions. The charter then goes on to state that the heralds for the time being, shall be in perpetuity a body corporate in fact and name and this charter titled Literæ de incorporatione heraldorum is now held in the British Museum. There has been evidence that prior to this charter, the royal heralds had already in some ways behaved like a corporation as early as 1420. Nevertheless, the charter is the earliest surviving document to affirm the chapter as a body of heralds. The charter outlines the constitution of the officers, their hierarchy, the College was also granted a house named Coldharbour on Upper Thames Street in the parish of All-Hallows-the-Less, for storing records and living space for the heralds. The house, built by Sir John de Pulteney, four times Lord Mayor of London, was said to be one of the greatest in the City of London. The defeat and death of Richard III at Bosworth field was a blow for the heralds. The victorious Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII soon after the battle, henrys first Parliament of 1485 passed an Act of Resumption, in which large grants of crown properties made by his two predecessors to their supporters were cancelled. Whether this act affected the status of the Colleges charter is debatable, however, Henry then granted the house to his mother Lady Margaret Beaufort, for life. This was because it was supposed that the house was granted personally to John Writhe the Garter King of Arms, as a result, the heralds were left destitute and many of their books and records were lost. Despite this ill treatment from the King, the position at the royal court remained
15.
Tarawa
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Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, in the central Pacific Ocean. The atoll is best known by outsiders as the site of the Battle of Tarawa during World War II, Tarawa has a large lagoon,500 square kilometres total area, and a wide reef. Although naturally abundant in fish and shellfish of all kinds, marine resources are being strained by the large, drought is frequent, but in normal years rainfall is sufficient to maintain breadfruit, papaya and banana trees as well as coconut and pandanus. North Tarawa consists of a string of islets, with the most northern islet being Buariki, the islets are separated in places by wide channels that are best crossed at low tide. On South Tarawa, the construction of causeways has now created a strip of land from Betio in the West to Buota in the Northeast. The climate is pleasant from April to October, with predominant northeastern winds, from November to March, western gales bring rain and occasional cyclones. For example, the average is 3,000 mm in the north and 500 mm in the south of the Gilbert Islands. Most of these islands are in the dry belt of the oceanic climatic zone. Tarawa atoll has three subdivisions, Betio Town Council, on Betio Islet, Teinainano Urban Council, from Bairiki to Bonriki Eutan Tarawa Council. South Tarawa hosts the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, the House of Assembly is in Ambo, and the State House is in Bairiki. The offices of the ministries of the government range from Betio at the south-west extreme to Nawerewere. The settlements on Tarawa include, Marenanuka, Taborio, which has Immaculate Heart College, four resident diplomatic missions exist, the Embassies of Taiwan and Cuba and the High Commissions of Australia and New Zealand. In Kiribati mythology, Tarawa was the earth when the land, ocean, thus after calling the sky karawa and the ocean marawa, he called the piece of rock that Riiki had stood upon when he lifted up the sky as, Tarawa. Nareau then created the rest of the islands in Kiribati and also Samoa, people arrived on these islands thousands of years ago, and there have been migrations to and from Kiribati since antiquity. Evidence from a range of sources, including carbon dating and DNA analyses, the people of Kiribati are still excellent seafarers, capable of making ocean crossings in locally-made vessels using traditional navigation techniques. Thomas Gilbert, captain of the East India Company vessel Charlotte, was the first European to describe Tarawa and he named it Matthew Island, after the owner of his ship, the Charlotte. He named the lagoon, Charlotte Bay, Tarawa Post Office opened on 1 January 1911. Sir Arthur Grimble was an administrative officer based at Tarawa. and became Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert
16.
Flag of British Columbia
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The flag of British Columbia is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. From 1870 to 1906, British Columbia was occasionally represented by a modified British blue ensign featuring various forms of the seal of the Colony of British Columbia. The current flag of British Columbia was based upon the 1906 arms of the province, originally, the arms featured the Union Flag on the bottom. This was changed as it conflicted with the expression The sun never sets on the British Empire, based upon Beanlands revised design, the flag of British Columbia was introduced on June 14,1960, by Premier W. A. C. Bennett, and was first flown on board the BC Ferries motor vessel Sidney, the four wavy white and three wavy blue lines symbolize the provinces location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. The setting sun represents the fact that British Columbia is Canadas westernmost province, the sun may also reflect the provincial motto Splendor sine occasu —or, in other words, the sun that never sets. In Canada, it could be argued, the Empire lives on in the countrys symbols, the Union Flag on top reflects the provinces British heritage, while the King Edward crown in the centre represents the Canadian Royal Family. The flag has a ratio of 3,5. The flag of British Columbia is similar to the flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory and it also bears similarities to the flag of the county of Suffolk in the United Kingdom
17.
Flag of the Isle of Wight
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The Flag of the Isle of Wight was adopted and registered in January 2009. It shows a diamond shape hovering over ocean waves, the indentation of the top corner of the diamond represents the River Medina, which is the largest river on the island. There is anecdotal evidence that the Isle of Wight county colours have been used as a flag and these consisting of two thinner green vertical stripes surrounding a central thick white stripe, and these flags are still available from various sources. Other than this the only established flag of modern times prior to 2007 was the three anchor and castle design used by the council. Those who still fly the green and white colours now often refer to them as The rebel green In 2007 an Isle of Wight Flag Committee was founded to create a flag for the Isle of Wight. It ran a competition, in association with the County Press newspaper, to design the flag. Four designs were shortlisted and put to the public in a vote, the winning design was by John Graney, and was registered by the Flag Institute on 9 January 2009. In April 2009 the new flag was launched and replaced the older design flown from County Hall. Before this competition, the Council flag was the popularly known flag for the island. It is taken from the Isle of Wight Arms granted in 1938 and features a representation of Carisbrooke Castle, the blue surrounding field and three gold anchors represent the islands status and maritime history. The Council flag can only be used by the Council on its government buildings. Therefore, until the new flag was registered, the islands team at events such as the International Island Games used only the Union Flag, or on occasion
18.
Company of Scotland
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The Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies, also called the Scottish Darien Company, was an overseas trading company created by an act of the Parliament of Scotland in 1695. Financial and political troubles plagued its early years, the governors were divided between those residing and meeting in Edinburgh and those in London, amongst whom were both Scots and Englishmen. In July 1698 the company launched its first expedition, led by Paterson, who hoped to establish a colony in Darien, though five ships and 1,200 Scottish colonists landed successfully in Darien, the settlement was poorly provisioned and eventually abandoned. A second, larger expedition took up the settlement, but was quickly besieged by the Spanish. More than a thousand succumbed to hunger and disease, and in April 1700, official Records at the Royal Bank of Scotland
19.
Flag of Australia
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The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign, a blue field with the Union Jack in the canton, and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, there are other official flags representing Australia, its people and core functions of government. A slightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1903, the seven-pointed commonwealth star version was introduced by a proclamation dated 23 February 1908. The dimensions were formally gazetted in 1934, and in 1954 the flag recognised by, and legally defined in. Constituent parts of the flag of Australia The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols, the Union Flag, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross, the Commonwealth Star, also known as the Federation Star, originally had six points, representing the six federating colonies. In 1908, a point was added to symbolise the Papua. Another rationale for the change was to match the star used on the Coat of Arms, the Southern Cross is one of the most distinctive constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere, and has been used to represent Australia since the early days of British settlement. Ivor Evans, one of the designers, intended the Southern Cross to also refer to the four moral virtues ascribed to the four main stars by Dante, justice, prudence, temperance. The stars are named after the first five letters of the Greek alphabet, in order to simplify manufacture, the British Admiralty standardised the four larger outer stars at seven points each, leaving the smaller, more central star with five points. This change was gazetted on 23 February 1903. A complete specification for the design was published in the Commonwealth Gazette in 1934. The location of the stars is as follows, Commonwealth Star – 7-pointed star, alpha Crucis – 7-pointed star, straight below centre fly 1⁄6 up from bottom edge. Beta Crucis – 7-pointed star, 1⁄4 of the way left, gamma Crucis – 7-pointed star, straight above centre fly 1⁄6 down from top edge. Delta Crucis – 7-pointed star, 2⁄9 of the way right, Epsilon Crucis – 5-pointed star, 1⁄10 of the way right and 1⁄24 down from the centre fly. The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star is 3⁄10 of the width, while that of the stars in the Southern Cross is 1⁄7 of the flags width, except for Epsilon. Each stars inner diameter is 4⁄9 of the outer diameter, the flags width is the measurement of the hoist edge of the flag. The colours of the flag, although not specified by the Flags Act, have been given Pantone specifications by the Awards and Culture Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Australian Governments Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers also gives CMYK and RGB specifications for depicting the flag in print and on screen respectively
20.
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia
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The flag of the Federated States of Micronesia was adopted on 30 November 1978. The blue field represents the Pacific Ocean, while the four stars represent the states in the federation, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, a similar design with six stars was in use from 1965 for the flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Kosrae was then part of Pohnpei so both were represented by one star, the three extra stars representing Palau, the Marshall Islands and Northern Mariana, which chose not to participate in the Federation. The flag, adopted in 1978, is in the colors of the UN flag, the light blue also represents the Pacific Ocean
21.
Flag of Fiji
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The national flag of Fiji was adopted on 10 October 1970. The state arms have been modified but the flag has remained the same as during Fijis colonial period. It is a defaced sky-blue Blue Ensign and it has remained unchanged since Fiji was declared a republic in 1987, despite calls from some politicians for changes. In 2013, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced plans of replacing the flag with a new design that would not include the Union Jack. The flags bright blue background symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, which plays an important part in the lives of the islanders, the Union Jack reflects the countrys links with the United Kingdom. The shield is derived from the coat of arms, which was granted by Royal Warrant in 1908. It is a shield with a red cross and a red chief. The images depicted on the shield represent agricultural activities on the islands, at the top of the shield, a British lion holds a cocoa pod between its paws. The upper left is sugar cane, upper right is a palm, the lower left a dove of peace. While some reformists have called for the removal of the Union Flag, seeing it a British colonial emblem, the flags of five other independent countries retain the Union Flag in their national flags. But of these, only Fiji is a republic, some influential Fijians have called for the restoration of the full coat of arms to the flag. The coat of arms is very significant because it has the word of God, I think that the council members prefer that the full coat of arms be included in the Fiji flag, said Asesela Sadole, General Secretary of the Great Council of Chiefs. Prior to ceding the country to British rule in 1874, the government of Fiji adopted a flag featuring blue and white vertical stripes. This flag ceased to be used when the era began. Fiji was a British colony from 1874 to 1970, the country, a republic, had removed Queen Elizabeth II from its currency a few weeks earlier. On 3 February 2015, Bainimarama confirmed that the flag of Fiji would be replaced and he announced that a national competition to design the new flag would be held, with the aim of hoisting this flag on 11 October 2015, the 45th anniversary of independence. During the competition, over 2,000 designs were submitted and it was intended to submit these designs to the Cabinet for consideration on 30 June 2015, following a brief public feedback period. However, on 30 June, Bainimarama announced that this period was to be extended to 31 December 2015, saying
22.
Flag of the Marshall Islands
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The flag of the Marshall Islands, an island nation in the Pacific, was adopted upon the start of self-government, May 1,1979. The flag was designed by Emlain Kabua, who served as the first First Lady of the republic, rules and specifications regarding the flag are set forth in the Official Flag of the Marshall Islands Act 1979. The Marshall Islands were part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the United States, from which the Marshall Islands, Palau, in common with other island nations in the region, this flag features the symbolic representation of the islands place within the ocean. The rising diagonal band represents the equator, the star above representing this Northern Hemisphere archipelago, the white and orange portions of the band represent, respectively, the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain, as well as symbolizing peace and courage. The suns 24 points represent the number of districts, while the four elongated points represent the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje. Marshall Islands at Flags of the World
23.
Flag of Nauru
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Following the independence of Nauru, the flag of Nauru was raised for the first time. The flag, chosen in a design competition, was adopted on independence day,31 January 1968. It depicts Naurus geographical position, one degree below the Equator, a gold horizontal stripe representing the Equator runs across a blue field for the Pacific Ocean. Nauru itself is symbolized by a white 12-pointed star, each point represents one of the 12 indigenous tribes on the island. The flag displays the location of the island nation. The narrow gold stripe with a width of 1⁄24 of the length of the flag represents the Equator, the twelve-pointed white star signifies the location of the island in the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean just south of the Equator. The separation of the blue flag cloth into two equal parts recalls the saga, that the first inhabitants were to have brought to Earth from two boulders. The twelve points on the represent the islands twelve original tribes. The white represents the phosphate, through which the islands residents acquired wealth from mining, the flag was created by a resident employed by the Australian flag manufacturer Evans. It was officially adopted on 31 January 1968, unlike some flags of Pacific nations, Naurus flag has evoked little controversy
24.
Flag of New Zealand
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The flag of New Zealand is a defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars pattern represents the asterism within the constellation of Crux, chosen by an assembly of Māori chiefs at Waitangi in 1834, the flag was of a St Georges Cross with another cross in the canton containing four stars on a blue field. After the formation of the colony in 1840, British ensigns began to be used, the current flag was designed and adopted for use on Colonial ships in 1869, was quickly adopted as New Zealands national flag, and given statutory recognition in 1902. For several decades there has been debate about changing the flag, in 2016, a two-stage binding referendum on a flag change took place with voting on the second final stage closing on 24 March. In this referendum, the country voted to keep the flag by 57% to 43%. The need for a flag of New Zealand first became clear when the trading ship Sir George Murray, the ship had been sailing without a flag, a violation of British navigation laws. New Zealand was not a colony at the time and had no flag, among the passengers on the ship were two high-ranking Māori chiefs, believed to be Patuone and Taonui. The ships detention was reported as arousing indignation among the Māori population, unless a flag was selected, ships could continue to be seized. The first flag of New Zealand was adopted 9 March 1834 by a made by the United Tribes of New Zealand. The United Tribes later made the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand at Waitangi in 1835, three flags were proposed, all designed by the missionary Henry Williams, who was to play a major role in the translation of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The flag is flown on the flag pole at Waitangi. After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the British Union Flag was used, although the former United Tribes flag was used by a number of ships from New Zealand. The New Zealand Company settlement at Wellington, for example, continued to use the United Tribes flag until ordered to replace it by Governor William Hobson in May 1840. New Zealand did not have a badge, or indeed a coat of arms of its own at this stage. In 1869 the First Lieutenant of the Royal Navy vessel Blanche, Albert Hastings Markham, submitted a design to Sir George Bowen and his proposal, incorporating the Southern Cross, was approved. It was initially used only on government ships, but was adopted as the de facto national flag, one of the first recorded accounts of the New Zealand national Blue Ensign flag being flown in battle was at Quinns Post, Gallipoli, in 1915. It was not, however, flown officially, the flag was brought back to New Zealand by Private John Taylor, Canterbury Battalion. The first time the Flag of New Zealand was flown in a naval battle, the national flag is defined in legislation as the symbol of the Realm, Government, and people of New Zealand and like most other laws, can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament
25.
Flag of Palau
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The flag of Palau was adopted on 1 January 1981, when the island group separated from the United Nations Trust Territory. As with the flags of several other Pacific island groups, blue is the used to represent the ocean. The current flag was introduced in 1981 when Palau became a republic, previously, the flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was flown jointly with the United Nations and American flags. The flags very simple design belies the depth of meaning attributed to it, the explanation for the choice of colours is rooted in the history and customs of the Palauan people. The bright blue of the field, which might be assumed to be symbolic of the Pacific Ocean, is in fact a representation of the transition from foreign domination to self-government, the golden disk, which sits slightly off-centre toward the hoist, represents the full moon. The Palauans consider the moon to be the optimum time for human activity. At this time of the month, celebrations, fishing, sowing, harvesting, tree-felling, the moon is a symbol of peace, love, and tranquility. Futaranosuke Nagoshi, a Japanese professor who studies international relations, made mention of a relation between flag of Palau and that of Japan. According to his idea, the motif of the moon is a kind of homage to the Rising-Sun flag, in a related matter, former Palauan President Kuniwo Nakamura once said with an ironical smile, Thats one way of putting it. Palau at Flags of the World Republic of Palau Convention History of the National Flag
26.
Flag of Papua New Guinea
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The flag of Papua New Guinea was adopted on 1 July 1971. In the hoist, it depicts the Southern Cross, in the fly, the designer of the flag was 15-year-old schoolgirl Susan Karike, now Mrs Susan Huhume, who won a nationwide competition for a new flag design in 1971. Red and black have long been traditional colors of many Papua New Guinean tribes, black-white-red was the color of the German Empire flag, which had colonized New Guinea prior to 1918. The bird-of-paradise is also found on the national coat-of-arms, prior to independence, the Australian administration proposed a vertical tricolor flag with blue, yellow and green bands, along with the bird of paradise and southern cross, designed by a Mr. Holman. It had a negative reception, due to its appearance as that of a mechanically contrived outcome. The Southern Cross shows that it is a country in the Southern Hemisphere and can be seen in Papua New Guinea
27.
Flag of Samoa
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The flag of Samoa was first adopted from February 24,1949 for UN Trusteeships, and continuously applied for the states independence on January 1,1962. It consists of a red field with a rectangle in the canton. The blue rectangle bears the constellation Southern Cross, four white stars. It was designed by O Au O Faleicia, prior to the First World War, Samoa was a colony of the German Empire. German colonies used the flag of the Imperial Colonial Office, a black-white-red tricolour defaced with the Imperial Eagle, New Zealand occupied German Samoa in 1914 and officially gained control of the territory in 1919. From the capture by New Zealand forces on August 29,1914, the defaced Blue Ensign was used by vessels owned by the mandate government, or those operated in the government service, while the defaced Red Ensign was used by locally registered civilian ships. Samoa at Flags of the World World Statesmen – Samoa
28.
Flag of the Solomon Islands
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The national flag of Solomon Islands was adopted officially on 18 November 1977, one year before independence. The design was the result of a competition in the lead up to independence and this flag was not the initial competition winner but was another submission by a New Zealand expatriate then the visual arts master at the King George VI school. According to the designer, The upper left triangle was blue, the triangle was green. A cluster of stars in the top left corner signified the provinces, the civil ensign and state ensign are red and blue flags, respectively, with the national flag in the canton. The naval ensign is based on the British white ensign, a red cross on a white field, Solomon Islands at Flags of the World
29.
Flag of Tonga
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The flag of Tonga consists of a red field with a white canton charged with a red couped cross. Adopted in 1875 after being enshrined into the nations constitution. The constitution stipulates that the flag can never be changed. The British first arrived in Tonga in the century, when Captain James Cook made three visits to the islands between 1773 and 1777. Approximately fifty years later, English Wesleyan Methodist missionaries came to Tonga, in 1831, they succeeded in converting paramount chief Taufaahau Tupou, who became King George Tupou I in 1845. It was during this time that the first Tongan flag was adopted and it consisted of a white field with a cross at all four corners, and the letters A and M at the centre that symbolise the king. Upon his accession to the throne, the sought to design a new flag for the nation. A new constitution for the kingdom was formulated and proclaimed on 4 November 1875 and it codified the new flag design, and marks when it was adopted as the national flag. Under Article 47 of the Constitution, this flag can never be altered, the colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The red couped cross alludes to Christianity, the religion practised by approximately 97% of the countrys population, the white epitomises purity, while the red evokes the sacrifice of the Blood of Christ, which he shed during his Crucifixion. The previous design of the featured a plain white field charged with the red couped cross. However, it was discovered that this flag was almost identical to the emblem of the International Red Cross. As a result of finding, the Tongan flag was set at the canton of a red field instead. The previous design, nonetheless, remains a symbol of Tonga. The current flag of Tonga also has similarities with the flags of Switzerland. Tonga at Flags of the World Tonga Flag at World Flags 101
30.
Flag of Tuvalu
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The current flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilbert Islands in 1976. The previous flag was based on the Union Flag but with the coat of arms created by Sir Arthur Grimble in 1932. The stars represent the nine islands which comprise Tuvalu, the arrangement is geographically correct, the first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people. The islands came within the British Empires sphere of influence in the late 19th century, the Ellice Islands were administered by Britain as part of a protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, Tuvalu became a fully independent Commonwealth realm in 1978. The name Tuvalu means eight together, referring to the eight islands which were inhabited, in October 1995 one of the stars on the flag was removed to conform with the countrys name. By January 1996 the flag was replaced with a new one which was not based on the British flag and this flag, however, was not liked by the inhabitants, who felt that it was a move towards replacing the popular Tuvaluan monarchy with a republic. The old flag was re-instated in 1997, with all nine stars being restored, population pressures have since resulted in the ninth island being settled. Kamuta Latasi#Flag issue Bikenibeu Paeniu#Second term as Prime Minister and flag issue Tuvalu at Flags of the World Tuvalu National Flag Act 1995 paclii. org Tuvalu National Flag Act 1997 paclii. org
31.
Flag of Vanuatu
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The flag of Vanuatu was adopted on 18 February 1980. When the Vanuaaku Pati led the New Hebrides to independence as Vanuatu in 1980, a parliamentary committee chose the final design based on submissions from local artists. The green represents the richness of the islands, the red symbolises the blood of wild boars and men, 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 going through the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The emblem in the black is a boars 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, with a flag width of 180 units, the width of the triangle, from hoist to point, should be 84 units. Coat of arms of Vanuatu Flag of Tuva which closely resembles the flag of Vanuatu, Flag of South Africa which also closely resembles the flag of Vanuatu
32.
Flag of the Cook Islands
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The flag of the Cook Islands, officially known as the Cook Islands Ensign, is based on the traditional design for former British colonies in the Pacific region. It is a blue ensign containing the Union Flag in the upper left, the Union Flag is symbolic of the nations historic ties to the United Kingdom and to the Commonwealth of Nations. The stars stand for the fifteen islands that make up the Cook Islands, the blue represents the ocean and the peaceful nature of the inhabitants. From 1973 to 1979, the flag was green with the stars in yellow shifted towards the fly, the green colour represented the continuous growth and life of the islands, the yellow represented the faith, love, happiness, and commitment shown by the islanders. The circle represented the union of the islands and the union between the islanders and the land itself, list of New Zealand flags Cook Islands at Flags of the World World Statesmen - Cook Islands
33.
Flag of Niue
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The flag of Niue was adopted on 15 October 1975. It consists of the Union Jack in the left corner with a star in the middle of the Union Jack. It is very unusual for a flag based on a British ensign design, in having not only a yellow background, the symbolism represented by the flag is described in the Act. The Union Jack symbolises the protection granted by the United Kingdom in 1900 after petitioning by the Kings, the golden yellow is inspired by the bright sunshine of Niue and also said to symbolise the warm feelings of the Niuean people towards New Zealand and his people. The association with New Zealand, which took responsibility and administration of Niue in 1901, is also represented by the four small stars that depict the Southern Cross. Finally the blue disc containing a star represents the deep blue sea surrounding the self-governing island of Niue. Seal of Niue List of New Zealand flags Flags of the World - Niue Niue Flag Act 1975
34.
Flag of American Samoa
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Adopted in April 1960 to replace the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the territory, it has been the flag of the Territory of American Samoa since that year. The colors used epitomize the traditional colors of the United States, before the first Europeans set foot on the islands in the 18th century, Samoa did not use any flags. They first utilized flags during the 1800s, although it is unclear which ones were due to partial documentation. As a result, the United States took control over the half of Samoa. It went on to be the official flag of American Samoa until 1960. In the mid-20th century, Samoans began to take an active role in the local government. Consequently, deliberations began over a new flag and the Samoans were invited to propose ideas. Local government leaders and the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry then designed the flag while incorporating these ideas into it, the flag was officially adopted April 27,1960, sixty years to the day the U. S. first raised the American flag over Samoa. The colors and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, the red, white and blue represent the colors traditionally utilized by both the United States and Samoa. The bald eagle represents the U. S. and features on the flag and it clutches two Samoan symbols, alluding to Americas guardianship over American Samoa, as well as evoking the Great Seal of the United States. The symbols are a uatogi and a fue, Seal of American Samoa Flags of the U. S. states The Territory of American Samoa
35.
Flag of Christmas Island
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The flag of Christmas Island was unofficially adopted in 1986 after being chosen the winner in a competition for a flag for the territory. It was designed by Tony Couch of Sydney, Australia, the flag was made official on Australia Day,2002 when the administrator of the territory, Bill Taylor, presented the flag to the Christmas Island Shire. The flag of Christmas Island consists of a green and blue background and these colours are intended to represent the land and sea respectively. The Southern Cross constellation appears in the left of the flag in the same manner as it appears on the flag of Australia. In the top right, the bosun bird appears. It is considered to be a symbol of the Island, the last motif appears in the centre of the flag on a golden disc is the map of the island in green. The disc itself was only included to offset the green colour of the map. In 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly announced a competition to both a flag and a coat of arms for the territory. There was a fund of $100, and some 69 entries were submitted. The winning submission was created by Tony Couch, a resident of Sydney, the new flag was announced on April 14,1986 by the Christmas Island Assembly. Although this was agreed, the declaration never took place, councillor Mariam Kawi accepted the flag as a representative of the Shire of Christmas Island. Christmas Island at Ausflag Christmas Island at Flags of the World
36.
Flag of Guam
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The flag of the United States territory of Guam was adopted on February 9,1948. The territorial flag is blue with a narrow red border on all sides. In the center of the flag is the coat of arms, an almond shaped emblem, which depicts a sailing in Agana Bay near Hagåtña. The shape of the emblem recalls the slingshot stones used by the islanders ancestors, the landform at the back depicts the Punta Dos Amantes cliff on Guam. Charles Alan Pownall approved the flags shape in 1948, as a complement to the Guam flag design, and in response to Guam law providing for municipal flags, efforts were made to depict the culture of each Guam municipality on their own flag. These efforts to design 19 unique municipal flags were collaborated through the Mayors Council with the assistance of illustrative artist Gerard Aflague and these municipal flag designs reflect unique aspects of each of Guams municipal villages. The length of the flag is forty inches and the width is seventy-eight inches, around each side of the flag, there is a two-inch red border. The coat of arms in the center is twenty-four inches tall, seal of Guam Flags of the U. S. states Guam at Flags of the World Municipal flags of Guam
37.
Flag of Hawaii
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The flag of the state of Hawaii is the official flag symbolizing Hawaii as a U. S. state. The same flag had previously been used by the kingdom, protectorate, republic. It is the only U. S. state flag to feature the flag of a country which is the Union flag of the United Kingdom. The canton of the flag of Hawaii contains the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, the field of the flag is composed of eight horizontal stripes, symbolizing the eight major islands. Other versions of the flag have only seven stripes, probably representing the islands with the exception of Kahoʻolawe or Niʻihau. The color of the stripes, from the top down, follows the sequence, white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, the colors were standardized in 1843, although other combinations have been seen and are occasionally still used. In 2001, a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association placed Hawaiis flag 11th in design quality out of the 72 Canadian provincial, U. S. state, there are various accounts of the earliest history of the flag of Hawaii. One relates how King Kamehameha I flew a British flag, probably a Red Ensign, subsequent visitors reported seeing the flag flying from places of honor. This explains why the flag of Hawaii was a deliberate hybrid of the two nations flags. In 1816, Kamehameha commissioned his own flag to avoid this conflict and it was probably designed by one of the commanders of the Royal Hawaiian Navy, former officers of the British Royal Navy, who advised Kamehameha, based on a form of the British naval flag. There is debate as to the designer, some credit Alexander Adams. It was very similar to the flag of the British East India Company in use about this time which had only red, Captain Adams used this flag for the first time on a Hawaiian trade mission to China in 1817. The original flag was designed to feature stripes alternating in the order red-white-blue, there may have been possibly different versions of the flag with different numbers of stripes and colors. The number of stripes also changed, originally, the flag was designed with seven or nine horizontal stripes. The latter arrangement was adopted and is used today, in 1990, Governor of Hawaii John Waihee proclaimed July 31 to be Ka Hae Hawaii Day, the Hawaiian Flag Day. It has been celebrated each year since then, the flag used by the governor of Hawaii is a red and blue bi-color. In the middle of the eight white stars appears the name of the state in all capital letters, during the time Hawaii was a United States territory, the letters in the middle of the flag were TH, which stood for Territory of Hawaii. List of Hawaii state symbols Seal of Hawaii Constitutional Provisions for the Display of Ka Hae Hawaii Hawaii at Flags of the World
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Flag of New Caledonia
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However, in July 2010 the Congress of New Caledonia voted in favour of a motion to fly the Kanak flag alongside the French tricolor. In 2008 the government of New Caledonia debated the introduction of a regional flag and anthem. In July 2010 the Congress of New Caledonia voted in favour of a motion to fly the Kanak flag alongside the French tricolor in the territory. On 17 July 2010, French Prime minister François Fillon took part in a ceremony in Nouméa where the FLNKS flag was hoisted alongside the French tricolor, however, the debate on finding a permanent official regional flag continued. The adoption of the Kanak flag proved controversial, some New Caledonians argued for a completely new flag for New Caledonia, which would incorporate designs from both the French tricolor and the Kanak flags. Such new flag would aim to promote a common destiny for ethnic Kanaks, the disc is fibrated black and defaced with a vertical symbol, also black. The blue symbolizes both the sky and more importantly the ocean surrounding New Caledonia, the red symbolizes the blood shed by the Kanaks in their struggle for independence, socialism, and unity. The green symbolizes the land itself and by extension the ancestors buried within it, the yellow disc is a representation of the sun and the symbol upon it consists of a flèche faitière, a kind of arrow which adorns the roofs of Kanak houses thrust through tutut shells. New Caledonia is divided into three provinces, each with its own flag, emblem of New Caledonia Media related to Flags of New Caledonia at Wikimedia Commons Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front at Flags of the World
39.
Flag of Norfolk Island
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The flag of Norfolk Island was approved by the Norfolk Island Council on 6 June 1979. It became the flag on the commencement date of the Norfolk Island Flag. The flag depicts the Norfolk Island Pine in a white stripe between two green stripes. The flags geometry is a triband, with a ratio of 1,2. The central stripe is wider than the two stripes, the ratio being 7,9,7. Norfolk Island Flag and Public Seal Act 1979 Retrieved 27 December 2013 Norfolk Island at Flags of the World
40.
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands
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The flag of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was adopted in July 1985, by the Second Northern Marianas Constitution. The NMI flag was designed by Taga during the year 1985. Later during that year, they finalized the draft of the flag in the last CNMI constitutional convention and this was the most symbolic moment of the annexation of the CNMI. The flag consists of three symbols, the star for the USA, the latte stone for the chamorros, and the mwarmwar for the carolinians, and the mostly shaded blue areas for the ocean of the Marianas trench. Seal of the Northern Mariana Islands Flags of the U. S. states The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
41.
Flag and coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands
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The flag of the Pitcairn Islands was adopted on April 2,1984. The design was suggested by the Pitcairn Island Council in December 1980, the flag was flown on Pitcairn for the first time in May 1984, during a visit by the then Governor, Sir Richard Stratton. The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands was granted by Royal Warrant dated November 4,1969, the coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands features a shield depicting the anchor and Bible from HMS Bounty. This represents the history of the islanders, most of whom are descended from the sailors who mutinied on the Bounty in 1789. The design of the shield is green and blue representing the island rising from the ocean, the helmet and crest are a flowering slip of miro and a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow. The flag of the Pitcairn Islands is a Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands maintains a separate flag. This flag of the Governor consists of the Union Flag defaced with the coat of arms, List of flags of the United Kingdom List of coats of arms of the United Kingdom and dependencies Media related to Flags of the Pitcairn Islands at Wikimedia Commons
42.
Flag of Tokelau
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As Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand, the flag of New Zealand has been used as the official flag for Tokelau. However, in May 2008 the local parliament, the General Fono, approved a distinctive flag and this flag has not yet been widely used for official purposes, but an official launch of the new flag was planned for October 2009. The Governor-General presented the flag to the Ulu-o-Tokelau as Tokelaus first official flag on 7 September 2009, a referendum on self-determination in 2006 failed to carry, and another one in October 2007 fell 16 votes short. An alternative and unofficial flag has been reported, the three stars in this flag represent the three atolls which make up the islands of Tokelau. In June 2007 the regional parliament decided over the flag, anthem. The proposed flag depicted a stylized Polynesian canoe and four stars, the stars represent the three main islands and also Swains Island, administered by the United States but claimed by Tokelau. As the required supermajority was not reached in the 2007 self-determination referendum, in May 2008, the General Fono approved the final versions of the national symbols of Tokelau. A national emblem was approved at this time. The flag was approved by the Genral Fono in February 2009, governor General presented the new flag to the Ulu as Tokelaus first official flag on 7 September 2009. An official launch of the new flag was planned for October 2009, badge of Tokelau Tokelau at Flags of the World Tokelau Flag and National Symbol Government of Tokelau College of Arms December 2009 Newsletter newsletter
