Marshall Islands

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The flag of the Marshall Islands (officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands) consists of a field of blue diagonally bisected by two adjacent diagonal stripes of white and orange, which stretch from the lower hoist corner to the upper fly corner. The rising diagonal band represents the equator, the star above representing this Northern Hemisphere archipelago. The white and orange portions respectively represent sunrise and sunset, as well as symbolizing peace and courage. The sun's 24 points represent the number of electoral districts, while the four elongated points represent the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje and Ebeye. This flag was designed by Emlain Kabua, the first First Lady of the republic, and was adopted upon the start of the nation's self-government, May 1, 1979. The flag is in a 10:19 ratio.

History[]

The Marshall Islands were part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the United States, from which the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia split. In common with other island nations in the region, this flag features the symbolic representation of the islands' place within the ocean. The rising diagonal band represents the equator, the star above representing this Northern Hemisphere archipelago. The white and orange portions of the band represent, respectively, the Ratak Chain ("sunrise") and the Ralik Chain ("sunset"), as well as symbolizing peace and courage. The star's 24 points represent the number of electoral districts, while the four elongated points represent the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje and Ebeye. The flag is also the national flag with the most points on a star, at 24.