The flag of Kiribati (

Gilbertese Gilbertese or taetae ni Kiribati, also Kiribati (sometimes ''Kiribatese''), is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in Kiribati. It belongs to the Micronesian branch of the Oceanic languages. The word ''Kiribati'', the current name of the i ...

: ''buraki ni Kiribati'') is red in the upper half with a gold

frigatebird 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 single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...

( ''Fregata minor'', in

: ''te eitei'') flying over a gold rising sun (''otintaai''), and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the

ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

and the three

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

es ( Gilbert,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

and Line Islands). The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (former Ocean Island). The yellow frigatebird symbolises command over the sea, freedom, and dance patterns. The blue and white wavy bands represent the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

, which surrounds Kiribati, and the sun refers to Kiribati's position astride the Equator. The flag is derived from a badge designed by Sir

Arthur Grimble Sir Arthur Francis Grimble, (Hong Kong, 11 June 1888 – London, 13 December 1956) was a British Colonial Service administrator and writer. Biography Grimble was educated at Chigwell School and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He then wen ...

in 1931 for the flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands British colony and granted in 1937.

Official description

Following the schedule 2 (section 8) of the National Identity Act of 1989, the official description is this one: *"The bird is a frigate bird which represents power, freedom and Kiribati cultural dance patterns". *"The rising sun is the tropical sun as Kiribati lies astride the Equator". *"The sea is the Pacific Ocean which surrounds Kiribati".

History

Kiribati's flag is an armorial banner, a flag having a design corresponding exactly to that of the shield in the coat of arms, the former badge of the flag of Gilbert and Ellice Islands British colony. In a letter on 15 August 1931 to the Western Pacific High Commissioner,

has written (concerning his badge proposal): *"Sea. Represents the space of the ocean in which the colony is isolated". *"Sun. The islands lie close to the 180 degree meridian. Sun is either rising or setting". *"Bird. Frigate bird ('' Fregat Aquilla'' (''sic'')) symbolises power, poise and freedom. To the natives it is a sign of sovereignty and kingly birth, and highly regarded as such". The coat of arms dates was then granted by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...

in May 1937 when it was officially granted to the colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The shield was incorporated into the centre of the fly half of a British

Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem. The ev ...

as the state ensign of the colony. Shortly before independence was granted in 1979, a local competition was held to choose a new national flag, and a design based on the colonial coat of arms was submitted to the

. The College of Arms decided to modify this design. Both the golden frigatebird and the sun were enlarged to occupy more of the top of the flag, and the width of the blue and white wavy bands was reduced. The local people, however, insisted on the original design, in which the top and bottom halves of the flag were equal, the sun and local frigate bird small, and the various design elements outlined in black. The new flag was hoisted during the independence day celebrations in the capital,

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Kingdom of Abemama (April 1884 – June 1884) File:Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Abemama_(1884-c._1889).svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Abemama (June 1884 – 1889) File:Kingdom_of_Abemama_Flag.svg, Flag of the Kingdom of Abemama (1889–1892) File:Royal_Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Abemama_(c._1889-1892).svg, Royal flag of the Kingdom of Abemama (1889–1892) File:Flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1937–1976).svg, Flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1937–1976) File:Flag of the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979).svg, Flag of the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiribati, Flag of Flag National flags Flags adopted through competition Flags introduced in 1979 Flags displaying animals