Marshall Islands flag

Marshall Islands flag
Vexillological symbol :	?
Aspect ratio:	10:19
Officially accepted:	May 1, 1979

The flag of the Marshall Islands was officially introduced on May 1, 1979, coinciding with the independence of the archipelago.

Description and meaning

The aspect ratio of the national flag is 10 to 19.

system	blue	orange	White
RGB	0-56-147	221-117-0	255-255-255
Hexadecimal color definition	# 003893	# DD7500	#FFFFFF

The colors and the structure have the following meaning:

• The blue background represents the Pacific Ocean .
• The white band stands for the Ratak island chain ("sunrise").
• The orange band symbolizes the Ralik island chain ("sunset").
• Alternatively, the colors white and orange can also mean peace and courage.
• The two stripes widen upwards, which is interpreted as a symbol of increasing prosperity and joie de vivre on the islands.
• The star symbolizes the Christian crucifix . The 24 rays each symbolize an administrative district of the Marshall Islands. The four big rays stand for the four main districts Majuro (capital), Ebeye , Jaluit and Kwajalein . The position of the star reflects the position of the archipelago just above the equator .

history

^? Flag of the Ralik Islands (MarshalFlag), 1878–1894

See also : Flags in the colonies of the German Empire

Between 1878 and 1894 the Ralik Islands carried their own flag, which was presented to them by the German colonial power.

Today's national flag was designed by Emlain Kabua, wife of the Marshall Islands' first head of government. The design prevailed against around 50 other entries in a competition.

See also

• Flag of the Bikini Atoll

literature

• Flags of the World , Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1998, ISBN 87-567-6001-9

Web links

Commons : Flags of the Marshall Islands  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

• Marshall Islands Flags of the World on the flag