Flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

What the flag of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands looks like

The flag is a dark green field with gold symbols and no other colors. A gold disc with a palm tree stands in the canton. A gold crescent is in the center of the flag, and the gold Southern Cross is in the fly. The proportions are 1:2.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands flag emoji keeps the green field and gold shapes. The territory also flies the flag of Australia.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands flag meaning

The palm tree stands for the islands' tropical flora. The crescent is a symbol of Islam, the religion of the Cocos Malays, who make up most of the population. The Southern Cross is a symbol of Australia and the southern hemisphere. Green and gold are Australia's national colors.

History of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands flag

Captain William Keeling sighted the atolls in 1609. The Clunies-Ross family settled them in 1827 and held them until the 20th century. The islands were annexed by Britain in 1857 and transferred to Australia in 1955. Australia bought out the family's holdings in 1978, and in a 1984 referendum islanders voted overwhelmingly to integrate with Australia.

The flag was designed by a teenager, Mohammed Minkom, who won a flag competition in 2003, and it was formally declared on 6 April 2004 by the Administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories. It is used in the territory, although the Australian Government does not officially recognise it.

About the islands

The territory is made up of two atolls with 27 coral islands. Only Home Island and West Island are inhabited. Home Island is the center of the Cocos Malay community, while West Island has the airport, the administration and most visitors. Charles Darwin visited in 1836, and his study of the atolls helped shape his theory of how coral reefs form. Malay and English are both spoken.