Colors and the Meaning of the Papua New Guinea Flag
The Papua New Guinea flag is composed of two triangles arranged diagonally. The left side is black and the right triangle is red. On the black triangle is a five-pointed five-white star, which represents the Southern Cross star cluster, and on the red triangle is a yellow bird of paradise symbol.
Black, red and yellow are the traditional colors of Papua New Guinea’s style of art and clothing. Yellow bird of paradise, icons of Papua New Guinea culture. The symbolization of a flight with its wings opened represents freedom and the moment the country was born as an independent nation.
5 stars represent Epsilon stars that are not as bright as the constellations of the Southern Cross, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and others. The Southern Cross represents the geographical position of the country in the world and its commitment to that country, as is the case in the Australian flag.
Papua New Guinea Flag Map
History of the Papua New Guinea Flag
In 1884, the Germans took control of Papua New Guinea. The German New Guinea flag, on the white background, contained the German national flag on the upper left, while on the right was a black lion and the lion holding fleur-de-lies. The black and white-red flag of the German Colonial Empire fluttered along with the German New Guinea flag.
The Southeastern Quarter of New Guinea was acquired by the Queensland Government in 1883 for the British Empire. This flag had the British Blue floor and Union Jack on the top left. On the right side of the flag was the crown in a white circle and the script ‘PAPUA’ under the crown.
In 1920, New Guinea was called the New Guinea Region and ruled by Australians under British control. The flag was made up of British Blue and Union Jack as in the previous flag, and there was a white circle on the right. The crown in the white circle remained in place, and the only thing that changed was PAPUA. PAPUA was replaced by TNG, an abbreviation of Territory of New Guinea. When the Papua and New Guinea Territories were united in 1949, the flag remained the same.
Southern Cross and Bird of Paradise
The flag of Papua and New Guinea was changed in 1965. The British Blue Ensign was replaced by a green ground and a yellow, red and blue raggiana bird-of-paradise on the ground. In 1970 the flag was changed again. The new flag consisted of three equal vertical bands of blue-yellow-green. The blue stripe on the left has white stars in the form of a Southern Cross. There was a white bird-of-paradise on the right green lane.
Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1971 and made its transition to the present day flag. The flag consists of two triangles, red and black. Southern Cross stars from the previous flag found its way into the black triangle. Again, the bird of paradise in the previous flag found its place in the red triangle.
Neighboring Countries of Papua New Guinea
It is located on the Australian continent. It covers the eastern part of the new Guinea island and some of the surrounding islands. West of Indonesia, south of Australia.
Related: Guinea Flag
Main Characteristics of Papua New Guinea
Surrounded by tropical forests, Papua New Guinea is home to many species of trees and plants, and many species of animals. Port Moresby is the largest city and capital of the country. The official language is English. Apart from this language, there are over 700 local languages and dialects in the country. Papua New Guinea kina is used as the currency.
Between May and December are rainy and cool, there are extreme temperatures and heavy rains from January to April. The average temperature is 25 degrees in June and 28 degrees in December-January. The basis of the country’s cuisine is rooted plants such as taro, kaukau and sago. Fish, seafood and potatoes are consumed a lot.
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Code | PG (PNG) |
| Calling Code | 675 |
| Capital City | Port Moresby |
| Currency | papua new guinean kina (PGK) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇵🇬 |
| Highest Point | Mount Wilhelm (4,509 m) |
| Internet TLD | .pg |
| Population(2017) | 8,251,162 |
| Total Area | 462,840 km2 |