For the first time, the flag of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea was officially raised in July 1971.
Description and proportions of the flag of Papua New Guinea
The flag of Papua New Guinea has the shape of a regular quadrangle, the length and width of which are related to each other in a ratio of 4: 3. The flag is divided into two equal fields diagonally from top to bottom and from left to right. The triangle with the base at the pole is black. On its field are five white five-pointed stars of various sizes, which form the constellation of the Southern Cross. The flag field at the free edge is bright red. It depicts a bird of paradise flying towards the shaft in gold.
Red and black are two colors that are popular with the Aboriginal people of New Guinea. The bird of paradise is the totem of many Papuan tribes, and the Southern Cross is the constellation considered the most important among some peoples of the Southern Hemisphere.
The bird of paradise can also be seen on the emblem of the country. She is depicted sitting on an Aboriginal drum and represents a united nation and a peaceful life on the island after independence. The spear behind the drum is a symbol that the people of Papua New Guinea are ready to defend their prosperity and sovereignty from any aggressor.
The flag of Papua New Guinea may be used, in accordance with the law of the country, for any purpose on land. It can be lifted by both government authorities and citizens, as well as owners of private boats and ships. The flag is also approved for use by commercial vessels. It can be seen at military installations on land.
For the Navy of Papua New Guinea, its own flag has been developed. It is a white rectangular cloth, the upper quarter of which, located at the pole, is the state flag.
History of the flag of Papua New Guinea
Captured by the Germans in the 1880s, the territory of modern Papua New Guinea from 1885 to 1914 used the flag of the German Empire as the state flag. It was a tricolor with horizontal black, white and red stripes of equal width.
In 1914, the country was transferred under the control of Australia and was a United Nations Trust Territory. The classic British flag became the flag, and later - a blue cloth with a British flag in the canopy at the top of the pole and the emblem of the country in the right half.
In 1971, artist Susan Harejo Karike created a draft of the flag of Papua New Guinea, which was approved and raised shortly before the country's independence.
