Flag of Nauru
Oceania
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Yaren
- Flag adopted
- 1968
- Population
- 11,680
- Area
- 21 km²
- Languages
- English, Nauru
- Currency
- Australian dollar ($) — AUD
- Demonym
- Nauruan
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Micronesia
- Driving side
- Left
- Timezones
- UTC+12:00
- Independence
- 1968
Religions
- Protestant 60.4%
- Roman Catholic 33.9%
- Other 4.2%
- None 1.3%
- Unspecified 0.3%
About This Flag
The flag of Nauru features a dark blue field divided by a narrow gold (yellow) horizontal stripe at the center, with a white 12-pointed star in the lower-left area below the stripe. The blue represents the Pacific Ocean and the sky above the island.
The gold stripe symbolizes the Equator, as Nauru lies just south of it. The white star represents the island's location just one degree south of the Equator, and its 12 points represent the 12 original tribes of Nauru.
The flag was adopted on January 31, 1968, the day Nauru gained independence from a joint Australian, New Zealand, and British trusteeship. It was designed through a local competition.
What the colors & design mean
Blue represents the Pacific Ocean and sky. The gold stripe represents the Equator. The 12-pointed white star represents Nauru's location just south of the Equator and the 12 original indigenous tribes of the island.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Fun Facts
- Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world by area (21 square kilometers), after Vatican City and Monaco, and the smallest republic.
- In the late 20th century, Nauru had one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world due to phosphate mining, but the deposits were nearly exhausted by 2000, leading to severe economic decline.
- The 12 tribes represented by the star's points are also referenced in the country's motto, and the star's position below the gold Equator line accurately represents Nauru's geographic position.
- Nauru is the only country in the world without an official capital city — government offices are located in the Yaren district.
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