Flag of New Caledonia
Kanak flag (FLNKS flag)
This flag of New Caledonia has blue, red and green stripes and a big yellow disc with a black Kanak roof spire, the fleche faitiere, inside it.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 13, 2010the flag was created by the pro-independence FLNKS movement around 1980; on 13 July 2010 New Caledonia's Congress asked that it fly beside the French flag, a wish without legal force; the French tricolour remains the official flag
- Capital
- Noumea
- Continent
- Oceania
- Colours
- blue
- red
- green
- yellow
- black
What it means
- Blue: the sky and the Pacific Ocean
- Red: the blood shed in the struggle, and also socialism and unity
- Green: the land and the ancestors buried in it
- Yellow disc: the sun
- Fleche faitiere: the carved spire on top of a traditional Kanak house, with shells threaded on it
Where it came from
New Caledonia is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to France. The flag shown here was made by the FLNKS, a political movement of the Kanak people, who are the islands' first inhabitants, and who want independence. Wikipedia dates it to 1980. The sources do not name a designer.
History
For a long time the French tricolour was the only flag. The 1998 Noumea Accord said New Caledonia could choose its own identity signs, such as a flag, by agreement of all groups.
In July 2010 the local Congress asked for the Kanak flag and the French flag to fly side by side, and the French prime minister raised both in Noumea. Many town halls now fly both. But this wish has no legal force, and in 2025 a French court said putting the flag on driving licences was not allowed. A shared flag for everyone has not yet been agreed.
Fun facts
- New Caledonia flies two flags side by side in many places.
- The roof spire on the flag is a real piece of Kanak architecture.
- Some versions have a thin black line around the yellow disc and some do not.
- Each of New Caledonia's three provinces has its own flag too.
Easy to mix up with
Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan also has blue, red and green stripes, but with a white crescent and star instead of a yellow disc
France: The French tricolour, the other flag flown in New Caledonia, has upright blue, white and red stripes
Questions
What does the flag of New Caledonia look like?
This flag of New Caledonia has blue, red and green stripes and a big yellow disc with a black Kanak roof spire, the fleche faitiere, inside it.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of New Caledonia mean?
Blue: the sky and the Pacific Ocean; Red: the blood shed in the struggle, and also socialism and unity; Green: the land and the ancestors buried in it; Yellow disc: the sun; Fleche faitiere: the carved spire on top of a traditional Kanak house, with shells threaded on it.
When was the flag of New Caledonia adopted?
The current flag of New Caledonia was adopted on July 13, 2010. (the flag was created by the pro-independence FLNKS movement around 1980; on 13 July 2010 New Caledonia's Congress asked that it fly beside the French flag, a wish without legal force; the French tricolour remains the official flag)
What colours are on the flag of New Caledonia?
The flag of New Caledonia uses blue, red, green, yellow and black.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of New Caledonia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan also has blue, red and green stripes, but with a white crescent and star instead of a yellow disc
Famous landmarks in New Caledonia
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)