Flag of Kiribati
The Kiribati flag has a red upper half with a golden frigatebird flying over a rising sun, and a lower half of blue and white wavy stripes for the Pacific Ocean. It is based on the old coat of arms of the islands.
What the flag of Kiribati looks like
The flag of Kiribati is divided horizontally into two parts. The upper half is red. On it is a golden-yellow frigatebird with its wings spread, flying above a golden sun that is rising from the horizon, with 17 rays. The lower half represents the sea: three white wavy stripes alternate with blue ones. The flag is twice as long as it is tall.
The scene is a picture of a tropical dawn over the ocean, and it resembles a coat of arms more than the geometric designs of most flags. A smaller version is available as the Kiribati flag emoji.
Kiribati flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#C81010RGB
200, 16, 16CMYK
0, 92, 92, 22 HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0 HEX
#183070RGB
24, 48, 112CMYK
79, 57, 0, 56 HEX
#F8D000RGB
248, 208, 0CMYK
0, 16, 100, 3 Kiribati flag meaning and symbolism
The elements are explained as follows:
- The frigatebird is a seabird common in the Pacific. It stands for freedom and for command of the ocean.
- The rising sun is a symbol of the equatorial location of the country. Its 17 rays represent the 16 islands of the Gilbert group and Banaba (Ocean Island).
- The three wavy white lines stand for the three island groups of Kiribati: the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands. The blue stands for the Pacific Ocean.
- The red field has no officially stated meaning; it is commonly linked to the sky at dawn.
Kiribati straddles the equator and the 180th meridian, and it is spread over a vast area of ocean. The flag reflects a nation made mostly of water.
History of the Kiribati flag
The islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and became the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1916. The colony received a coat of arms in 1937. It showed a frigatebird over a sun and the sea, and the later flag of Kiribati is a close copy of it. The colonial flag was a British blue ensign with the colony's badge.
The Ellice Islands separated in 1975 to form Tuvalu. The Gilbert Islands gained self-rule in 1977 and became independent as Kiribati on 12 July 1979, with the present flag adopted on that day. The name Kiribati is the local rendering of “Gilberts” and is pronounced Kiribas. The national coat of arms keeps the same frigatebird and sun. The flag has not changed since independence.
Flags of neighboring Pacific nations
Many Pacific flags use blue for the ocean, such as Tuvalu and Nauru. Kiribati's is unusual in showing a bird, a sun and the sea together in one picture. See all flags of Oceania.
Kiribati flag facts
| Country | Republic of Kiribati |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | July 12, 1979 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #C81010, #FFFFFF, #183070, #F8D000 |
| Symbols | Sun, Fregata, barry, sunrise, field |
| Flag emoji | 🇰🇮 |
| Country code | KI, KIR (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | South Tarawa |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Population | 134,518 |
| Area | 811 km² |
| Currency | Australian dollar, Kiribati dollar |
| National anthem | Kunan Kiribati |
Kiribati flag: frequently asked questions
What does the Kiribati flag symbolize?
The frigatebird symbolizes freedom and mastery of the sea, the rising sun the equatorial position, and the waves the Pacific Ocean and the three island groups: the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands.
What bird is on the Kiribati flag?
It is a golden frigatebird, a large seabird with long, narrow wings that flies over the open ocean.
What is the only country with a flag that does not have four right angles?
That is Nepal, whose flag is two stacked pennants. Kiribati's flag is a normal rectangle. See the flag of Nepal.
Where is Kiribati?
Kiribati is a Pacific island nation about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It is spread over three island groups and crosses both the equator and the 180th meridian. It is an independent country and is not part of Australia, the United States or Japan.
What does Kiribati mean in English?
Kiribati is the local pronunciation of “Gilberts,” from the Gilbert Islands, named for a British captain, Thomas Gilbert. It is pronounced KEER-ih-bahss.
