Flag of Papua New Guinea

Country

Flag of Papua New Guinea uses diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross. Ratio 3:4, current adoption July 1, 1971 and design credited to Susan Karike.

Hoist Ratio 3:4 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Papua New Guinea
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Identifier	PG / PNG
Region	Melanesia

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	July 1, 1971
First Documented Use	1971
Proportion	3:4
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Red, Black, Gold, White
Designer	Susan Karike
Construction	Diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Red	#CE1126	206, 17, 38	0, 92, 82, 19
Black	#000000	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0, 100
Gold	#FCD116	252, 209, 22	0, 17, 91, 1
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Red	the traditional colour of the people.
Black	the traditional colour of the people.
Gold	the bird of paradise.
White	the Southern Cross.
Raggiana bird of paradise	The national bird, shown in flight.
Southern Cross	The country’s place in the South Pacific and its links to Australia.
Design origin	Chosen from a nationwide competition won by a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

Proportions

Ratio	3:4
Hoist	3 units
Fly	4 units

About the Flag of Papua New Guinea

Diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross The recorded proportion is 3:4. Within this library it is grouped with diagonally divided field with an emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Papua New Guinea is Red (#CE1126), Black (#000000), Gold (#FCD116) and White (#FFFFFF). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Raggiana bird of paradise: The national bird, shown in flight; Southern Cross: The country’s place in the South Pacific and its links to Australia; Design origin: Chosen from a nationwide competition won by a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1971. The adoption field for the present record is July 1, 1971. The designer is recorded as Susan Karike.

Additional flag context

The flag was designed by Susan Karike, a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl, in a 1971 national competition, and was adopted essentially unaltered.

The diagonal division lets the bird of paradise and the Southern Cross each occupy a full field rather than competing for space.

Red and black were already widely used in the country's traditional art, which is part of why the design was accepted so readily.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross, a 3:4 proportion and the visible raggiana bird of paradise. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Papua New Guinea — Specialist vexillological reference

Other diagonally divided field with an emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is recorded as diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross.
The reference proportion for the flag of Papua New Guinea is 3:4.
The stored palette for Papua New Guinea contains Red, Black, Gold and White.
The adoption field for this country flag record is July 1, 1971.
The design record traces first use to 1971.
Susan Karike is credited in the dataset as the designer of the flag.
Its construction is grouped with the diagonally divided field with an emblem design family in this library.
Raggiana bird of paradise: The national bird, shown in flight.
Southern Cross: The country’s place in the South Pacific and its links to Australia.
The flag was designed by Susan Karike, a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl, in a 1971 national competition, and was adopted essentially unaltered.
The diagonal division lets the bird of paradise and the Southern Cross each occupy a full field rather than competing for space.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Papua New Guinea

What does the flag of Papua New Guinea look like?

Diagonally divided field with a bird of paradise and the Southern Cross, with a recorded proportion of 3:4.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Papua New Guinea?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 3:4.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Papua New Guinea?

The reference palette lists Red #CE1126, Black #000000, Gold #FCD116 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Papua New Guinea represent?

Raggiana bird of paradise — The national bird, shown in flight. Southern Cross — The country’s place in the South Pacific and its links to Australia. Design origin — Chosen from a nationwide competition won by a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

When was the present flag record for Papua New Guinea adopted?

The adoption field in this record is July 1, 1971.

Who designed the flag of Papua New Guinea?

The designer is recorded as Susan Karike.

Which design family does the flag of Papua New Guinea belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with diagonally divided field with an emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.