Flag of Wallis and Futuna

Flag of Wallis and Futuna
	; ;
Vexillological symbol :
Aspect ratio:	2: 3
Officially accepted:	1985

The flag of Wallis and Futuna has no official status, but is de facto used in the territory alongside the flag of France , which is de jure the only valid flag of the French overseas territory.

Description and meaning

The red flag shows the French tricolor in the jack and four white triangles that form a cross. A thin white line separates the tricolor from the red field. Red stands for courage and white for the purity of ideals. Three of the triangles stand for the three native kings of the islands, the fourth for the French administrator. The tricolor in the jack shows French rule.

The flag is similar to the coat of arms of Wallis and Futuna .

history

^?Flag of the Kingdom of Uvéa, 1860 to 1886

The Kingdom of Uvéa (on the Wallis Islands ) ran its own flag from 1840. It was designed by the Father Battalion and given to the King, who converted to Catholicism . It showed the Holy Virgin Mary on a white background. A new flag was introduced on November 4, 1842. It had four Greek crosses in the corners, two each in blue and two in red. In the center was the monogram of the Blessed Virgin: a red A over a blue M. This flag lasted until 1860.

From 1837 to 1858, King IP Lavelua flied a personal flag similar to that of today. Only the French tricolor was missing. Queen Amelia (1858 to 1887) enlarged the triangles so that the red area now appeared as a St. Andrew's cross on a white background with a red frame. As the new flag of the kingdom, a French tricolor with a red cross in the center was inserted as early as 1860 .

^?Flag of the Protectorate of Wallis and Futuna with a paw cross

With the treaty with France of November 19, 1886, which made the kingdom a protectorate, Amelia put the French flag in the jack and the white triangles now formed a paw cross, larger than today. From 1887 to 1910 the cross was again divided into triangles. From 1910 to 1985 it was again a (somewhat smaller) paw cross. Since 1985 it has finally been the triangles.

Flags of the kingdoms

Wallis and Futuna are divided into three traditional kingdoms, each with its own flag. The flag of the Kingdom of Uvéa is very similar to the unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna. Only the French tricolor is not in the jack, but is offset in the upper leech and framed with a white border. The flags of the two kingdoms on Futuna also present the French tricolor on their flag in the same way. The red flag of Alo shows a palm leaf and in yellow a crossed club and ax, the weapons with which Father Chanel was murdered. The flag of Sigave is divided diagonally from the bottom of the mast side to the top of the flight side in red and black. In the center, on a yellow disc, the flag shows a palm leaf flanked by two spears.

2: 3 Kingdom of Alo
2: 3 Kingdom of Sigave
2: 3 Kingdom of Uvea