Colors and the Meaning of the Kiribati Flag
The Kiribati flag consists of a golden frigatebird over the gold rising sun with half of the gold on the red background and the other half consists of three white and blue horizontal waves to represent the ocean and the three island group.
The sequential blue-and-white six waves of the flag of Kiribati, adopted in 1979, represent the ocean that surrounds the island country. The sun, which intersects with the waves, symbolizes the sunrise, and the Frigatebirds, the symbol of the country, depicts the power and freedom. The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba. Frigatebird symbolizes the power of the sea and freedom. Blue and white wavy groups represent the Pacific Ocean surrounding Kiribati, and the sun represents the position of Kiribati in Ecuador.
History of the Kiribati Flag
The flag of Kiribati is a coat of arms, a flag with a design that corresponds exactly to a rigging sign. Arma was designed by Sir Arthur Grimble in 1932 for the British colony of Gilbert and the Ellice Islands.
The use of the Coat of Arms began when the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were two countries, Kiribati and the Canvas. Another version of the flag was the British blue with Union Jack on the top left and the Kiribati coat of arms near the right side of the flag. Shortly before independence in 1979, a local competition was held to select a new national flag and the College of Arms was presented with a design based on the coat of arms of the colonial British colony.
But the College of Arms decided to change that design. Both the golden frigatebird and the sun were expanded to take up more space at the top of the flag, and the width of the blue and white wavy bands decreased. However, the local people insisted on the original design, where the upper and lower halves of the flag were equal and the sun and the local frigatebird were small. The new flag was raised on 12 July 1979 during the independence day celebrations in the capital city Tarawa.
Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, the flag of the British Columbia, the Flag of the Isle of Wight, the flag of the Company of Scotland and the cities of Bath and Maine are very similar to the Kiribati Flag.
Neighboring Countries of Kiribati
Kiribati is a country in Oceania. The countries closest to the country without a neighbor are; Tokelau, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Niue and Tonga island countries.
Main Characteristics of Kiribati
The Republic of Kiribati is not one of the most visited countries by tourists despite its magnificent nature and beaches. Due to the lack of natural resources, the country’s economy has not developed. Kiribati is the first country to enter the new day as it is the border to the eastern end-date change line. The country’s capital is Tarawa. Almost half of the population lives in this city. There are two official languages, including English and Kiribati language. They use the Kiribati dollar as a currency.
Tropical climate prevails. The weather is always hot and humid. The temperature throughout the country is high. The most populated areas are Gilbert Islands. Fish and rice are the most consumed foods. There are not many types of food in the country. Tropical fruits and vegetables are constantly available.
| Country | Kiribati |
| Code | KI (KIR) |
| Calling Code | 686 |
| Capital City | South Tarawa |
| Currency | australian dollar (AUD) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇰🇮 |
| Highest Point | 81 m |
| Internet TLD | .ki |
| Population(2018) | 118,414 |
| Total Area | 726 km2 |