Flag of Nauru facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nauru

Use	State flag and civil ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	31 January 1968
Design	A blue field with the thin yellow narrow horizontal stripe across in the center and the large white twelve-pointed star on the bottom of the stripe and near the hoist-side.

The flag of Nauru was first raised when Nauru became an independent country. This happened on January 31, 1968. The flag was chosen after a design competition held in Nauru. Its design shows Nauru's location on the map, with a star just south of the Equator.

The flag flying at the Parliament of Nauru

What the Flag Means

The flag of Nauru tells a story about where the island nation is located. It also shares important parts of its history and culture.

Colors and Symbols

The flag has a narrow gold stripe that goes across the middle. This stripe is one-twelfth of the flag's total length. It stands for the Equator, an imaginary line around the Earth's middle. The stripe and the star together show that Nauru is an island in the Pacific Ocean, just one degree south of the Equator.

The blue color on the flag represents the vast Pacific Ocean that surrounds Nauru. The white color of the star stands for phosphate. Phosphate was once a very important natural resource for the country. It helped Nauru become wealthy.

The Twelve-Pointed Star

Nauru itself is shown by a white star with 12 points. These 12 points represent the 12 original tribes of the island. These tribes were the first people to live in Nauru.

The twelve original tribes are:

• Deiboe
• Eamwidara
• Eamwit
• Eamwitmwit
• Eano
• Eaoru
• Emangum
• Emea
• Irutsi
• Iruwa
• Iwi
• Ranibok

How the Flag Was Made

The flag was designed by someone who worked for an Australian flag company called Evans. It was officially adopted on January 31, 1968, the same day Nauru became independent. Unlike some flags in the Pacific, Nauru's flag has not caused any arguments or disagreements.

Flag Construction Sheet

Nauru's Past Flags

Nauru has had different flags throughout its history, depending on who was in charge of the island.

Flag	Date	What it was used for	What it looked like
	1888–1914	When Germany took control of Nauru in 1888, the flag of the German New Guinea Company was flown on the island.	See: German New Guinea
	1919–1948	When Nauru was under the care of Australia and the United Kingdom, the Union Jack was flown.	See: Union Jack
	1942–1945	This was the flag of Nauru when it was occupied by Japan during World War II.	See: Flag of Japan
	1948–1968	This flag was used when Nauru was a UN Trust Territory under Australia and the United Kingdom.	See: Australian Red Ensign
	1968–Present	This is the current flag of Nauru. It was adopted on January 31, 1968, after Nauru became independent.

See also

• Coat of arms of Nauru
• Nauru graph, which is named because it looks like the 12-pointed star on the flag.
• Flag of Curaçao