Flag of Kiribati
Oceania
Quick Facts
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Flag adopted
- 1979
- Population
- 120,740
- Area
- 811 km²
- Languages
- English, Gilbertese
- Currency
- Australian dollar ($) — AUD, Kiribati dollar ($) — KID
- Demonym
- I-Kiribati
- Government
- presidential republic
- Subregion
- Micronesia
- Driving side
- Left
- Timezones
- UTC+12:00, UTC+13:00 +1 more
- Independence
- 1979
Religions
- Roman Catholic 58.9%
- Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%
- Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%
- Latter-day Saint 5.6%
- Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%
- Baha'i 2.1%
- Other 1.7%
About This Flag
The flag of Kiribati features the upper half in red with a golden frigatebird (a Fregata minor) flying over a golden rising sun with 17 rays, and the lower half showing six wavy blue and white stripes representing the Pacific Ocean. The frigatebird symbolizes command of the sea, freedom, and the power of the ocean, and is a traditional symbol of authority in Gilbertese culture.
The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (Ocean Island). The six wavy bands represent the Pacific Ocean.
The design was taken directly from the coat of arms of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The flag was adopted on July 12, 1979, upon independence from Britain.
What the colors & design mean
Red represents the sky and the rising sun. The golden sun with 17 rays represents the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba Island. The frigatebird symbolizes power, freedom, and command of the sea. The blue and white waves represent the Pacific Ocean.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Fun Facts
- Kiribati is one of the most geographically dispersed countries on Earth — its 33 atolls and reef islands are scattered across 3.5 million square kilometers of Pacific Ocean, an area larger than India.
- Kiribati is pronounced 'Kiribas' — the name is the Gilbertese rendering of 'Gilberts,' as the language has no 's' sound and uses 'ti' instead.
- Kiribati straddles the International Date Line and the Equator, making it one of the first countries to see the sunrise each day — it moved the Date Line eastward in 1995 so all its islands would be in the same day.
- Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to Kiribati, as most of its land is less than 2 meters above sea level, and the government has purchased land in Fiji as a potential future refuge.
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