Flag of Tuvalu
Tuvalu adopted its current flag in 1978 after becoming independent from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1976. There are nine yellow five-pointed stars on the fly-half of this flag with a map of the island in light blue. The name Tuvalu comes from the eight inhabited islands that once made up the group.
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What’s the meaning of the Tuvalu flag?
Yellow stars appear in light blue on the light blue background, representing the nine atolls and islands of the country. Tuvalu’s Union Jack canton signified its links with Britain and other Commonwealth countries. There are nine stars on the Tuvalu flag, along with the flag of the United Kingdom. It is made up of the colors blue, red, yellow, and white.
Yellow symbolizes wealth and natural resources, so the stars are yellow. Blue represents the ocean. Nine stars represent the island nation.
What does the color of the Tuvalu flag mean?
- Tuvalu’s flag is light blue.
- Nine five-pointed stars mark the island’s map on the hoist side of the flag.
- Yellow stars represent wealth and natural resources.
- Blue represents the ocean.
- The stars represent nine islands.
When did Tuvalu change its ensign to light blue?
The flag of Tuvalu was changed slightly between October 1995 and December 1995, with an extra star added to the light blue ensign. In addition, the flag was changed from blue to light blue.
What do the nine stars on Tuvalu’s flag represent?
Like many former British colonies and territories, the Union Jack of the United Kingdom can be seen in the top left corner. Although not precisely to scale, the nine stars represent the nine main islands of Tuvalu. Tuvalu comprises nine islands, so it makes sense that the stars are arranged geographically, with the east at the top.
What is the origin of the name Tuvalu?
The southernmost and smallest island is Niulakita, uninhabited before European contact; the other seven islands were settled in the 18th century, hence the name Tuvalu, or “Cluster of Eight.”
What country owns Tuvalu?
On 1 October 1975, the Ellice Islanders voted to become a British dependency known as Tuvalu, separating themselves from the Gilbert Islands, which became Kiribati upon independence. In 1978, Tuvalu gained independence within the Commonwealth. Tuvalu joined the United Nations as its 189th member on 5 September 2000.
What was the reason behind the removal of the Union Jack from Tuvalu’s flag?
The name Tuvalu refers to eight inhabited islands. A star was removed from the flag in October 1995 so that it, too, would be per their name. In January 1996, the flag was replaced with a new one not based on the British flag. However, eight stars remained. But the residents of Tuvalu disapproved of this flag, as they considered it an attempt to replace the monarchy with the republic. So in 1997, the old flag was restored to include all nine stars.
Tuvalu’s flag is British. Why?
Tuvalu’s connection to Britain and other Commonwealth countries is symbolized by the Union Jack canton. Turvalu’s flag consists of a field with nine stars and the flag of the United Kingdom.