Oceania may be the smallest continent with just 14 countries, but its flags are full of unique symbols from the Pacific. How many do you know?
14 Country FlagsAustralia, New Zealand, Tuvalu, Fiji, and several other Oceanian nations feature the Union Jack in their canton (upper left corner), reflecting their British colonial history. The Southern Cross constellation — visible only from the Southern Hemisphere — appears on the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. Australia and New Zealand's flags are so similar that Kiwis sometimes joke about being mistaken for Australians. New Zealand held a referendum in 2016 to change its flag but ultimately kept the existing design.
Oceanian flags celebrate the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Pacific. Kiribati's flag shows a frigatebird flying over a rising sun — one of the most beautiful flag designs in the world. Palau features a golden full moon on a sky-blue background, representing the importance of the full moon in Palauan culture and agriculture. Papua New Guinea's flag combines a bird of paradise with the Southern Cross. Nauru's flag has a narrow gold stripe below a blue field with a 12-pointed white star — the stripe represents the equator, as Nauru sits just 42 km south of it.
Many Oceanian nations are among the world's smallest. Nauru (21 sq km) and Tuvalu (26 sq km) are smaller than most cities. Despite their size, their flags pack personality. Tuvalu's flag features nine stars representing its nine islands. The Marshall Islands' flag has two diagonal stripes representing the equator and a star with 24 points for its electoral districts. Fiji changed its flag design multiple times post-independence and features a British-style coat of arms with a coconut palm, sugar cane, bananas, and a dove.
Oceania has 14 internationally recognized sovereign nations: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Tuvalu. Some definitions also include Indonesia (partly in Oceania) and various territories.
Both flags feature the Union Jack (reflecting British colonial ties) and the Southern Cross constellation. Australia's flag has a large Commonwealth Star beneath the Union Jack plus four seven-pointed stars and one five-pointed star for the Southern Cross. New Zealand has four red stars with white borders. New Zealand held a flag referendum in 2015-2016 but voted to keep the existing design.
Kiribati's flag is widely considered the most colorful and artistic in Oceania, featuring a red upper half with a golden frigatebird flying over a rising sun, and a blue lower half with white wavy lines representing the Pacific Ocean. Papua New Guinea's red-and-black flag with a golden bird of paradise is also strikingly unique.
Enjoying the quiz? Support free tools & games