Flag of the Solomon Islands

Meaning and history of the flag of the Solomon Islands

The flag of the Solomon Islands is split diagonally by a thin yellow stripe running from the lower hoist corner to the upper fly corner. The upper triangle is blue and the lower triangle is green. Five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an X pattern within the blue triangle. Blue represents the ocean surrounding the archipelago, green symbolizes its rich tropical vegetation, and yellow embodies sunlight.

The five stars originally stood for the country's five main provinces at the time of independence in 1978, though the number of provinces has since grown to nine. The flag was adopted on November 18, 1977, ahead of independence from the United Kingdom on July 7, 1978. Its design was chosen through a public competition won by a New Zealand citizen.

The diagonal layout of the Solomon Islands flag is uncommon among national flags and gives it a dynamic, recognizable look. Like other Pacific nations, it relies heavily on blue to represent the vastness of the ocean, but the diagonal yellow stripe sets it visually apart from its neighbors. It is one of the most colorful flags in Oceania and faithfully reflects the archipelago's lush natural environment.

You can view the flag of the Solomon Islands in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full the Solomon Islands profile, its map, or the current local time in Honiara.