Melanesia
Papua New Guinea
Diagonally divided from upper hoist to lower fly into black and red, with the Southern Cross in white on the black half and a yellow bird-of-paradise on the red half. It was adopted in 1971 ahead of independence.
Adopted
1971
Proportion
3:4
Colours
4
Colours & their meaning
Black
Reflects traditional Melanesian colors.
Red
Reflects traditional Melanesian colors.
White
No official symbolism.
Yellow
No official symbolism beyond the bird emblem itself.
Symbols & emblems
Bird-of-paradise
Represents the nation and its rich indigenous wildlife; it is a major national emblem.
Southern Cross
Represents Papua New Guinea’s location in the southern hemisphere and appears on several regional flags.
Did you know?
The flag was designed by Susan Karike, who was only a teenager when her design won the national competition.