Flag of Tonga

Country

Flag of Tonga uses red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross. Ratio 1:2 and current adoption November 4, 1875.

Hoist Ratio 1:2 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Tonga
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Kingdom of Tonga
Identifier	TO / TON
Region	Polynesia

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	November 4, 1875
First Documented Use	1864
Proportion	1:2
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Red, White
Construction	Red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross

Documented Colour Values

Colour	Appearance	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Red		#C10000	193, 0, 0	0, 100, 100, 24
White		#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Red	the blood of Christ shed at the crucifixion.
White	purity and the canton.
Red cross	The Christian faith, which the constitution requires the flag never to change.
Design	The original design was almost entirely a white flag with a red cross, changed when it proved too like the Red Cross emblem.

Proportions

Ratio	1:2
Hoist	1 units
Fly	2 units

About the Flag of Tonga

Red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross The recorded proportion is 1:2. Within this library it is grouped with field with an emblem in the canton designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Tonga is Red (#C10000) 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

Red cross: The Christian faith, which the constitution requires the flag never to change; Design: The original design was almost entirely a white flag with a red cross, changed when it proved too like the Red Cross emblem.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1864. The adoption field for the present record is November 4, 1875.

Additional flag context

Tonga's constitution states that the flag may never be altered, which makes it one of very few flags with constitutional protection against redesign.

The original design was a plain white flag with a red cross; it was changed when it was realised the design was identical to the Red Cross emblem.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross, a 1:2 proportion and the visible red cross. 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 — Tonga — Specialist vexillological reference

Other field with an emblem in the canton flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Tonga

Tonga is recorded as red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross.
The reference proportion for the flag of Tonga is 1:2.
The stored palette for Tonga contains Red and White.
The adoption field for this country flag record is November 4, 1875.
The design record traces first use to 1864.
Its construction is grouped with the field with an emblem in the canton design family in this library.
Red cross: The Christian faith, which the constitution requires the flag never to change.
Design: The original design was almost entirely a white flag with a red cross, changed when it proved too like the Red Cross emblem.
Tonga's constitution states that the flag may never be altered, which makes it one of very few flags with constitutional protection against redesign.
The original design was a plain white flag with a red cross; it was changed when it was realised the design was identical to the Red Cross emblem.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Tonga

What does the flag of Tonga look like?

Red field with a white canton bearing a red couped cross, with a recorded proportion of 1:2.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Tonga?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 1:2.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Tonga?

The reference palette lists Red #C10000 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Tonga represent?

Red cross — The Christian faith, which the constitution requires the flag never to change. Design — The original design was almost entirely a white flag with a red cross, changed when it proved too like the Red Cross emblem.

When was the present flag record for Tonga adopted?

The adoption field in this record is November 4, 1875.

Which design family does the flag of Tonga belong to?

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

Where can I verify information about the flag of Tonga?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.