View source for Flag of Kiribati

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{{More citations needed|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Flag of Kiribati
| Image = Flag of Kiribati.svg
| Use = 111111
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}} {{FIAV|Vertical normal}}
| Proportion = 1:2
| Adoption = {{start date and age|1979|07|12|df=y}}
| Design = A horizontal bicolour of red and blue with the yellow frigate bird flying over the rising sun with seventeen rays centered on the upper half and three white wavy horizontal stripes on the lower half.
| Designer = [[Arthur Grimble]]
}}

The '''flag of [[Kiribati]]''' ({{lang|gil|buraki ni Kiribati}}) is red in the upper half with a gold [[frigatebird]] ([[Great frigatebird|''Fregata minor'']], in [[Gilbertese]]: ''te eitei'') flying over a gold rising sun (''otintaai''), and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the [[ocean]] and the three [[archipelago]]es ([[Gilbert Islands|Gilbert]], [[Phoenix Islands|Phoenix]] and [[Line Islands]]). The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and [[Banaba]] (former Ocean Island).

The yellow frigatebird symbolises command over the sea, freedom, and dance patterns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/pacific/kiribati.htm|title = Kiribati Flag and Description}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indexmundi.com/kiribati/flag_description.html|title=Kiribati Flag description – Government}}</ref> The blue and white wavy bands represent the [[Pacific Ocean]], which surrounds Kiribati, and the sun refers to Kiribati's position astride the Equator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Kiribati|title=Flag of Kiribati}}</ref>

The flag is derived from a badge designed by Sir [[Arthur Grimble]] in 1931 for the flag of the [[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]] British colony and granted in 1937.

==Official description==

Following the schedule 2 (section 8) of the National Identity Act of 1989, the official description is this one:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paclii.org/ki/legis/num_act/nia1989197/index.html|title = National Identity Act 1989}}</ref>
*"The bird is a frigate bird which represents power, freedom and Kiribati cultural dance patterns".
*"The rising sun is the tropical sun as Kiribati lies astride the Equator".
*"The sea is the Pacific Ocean which surrounds Kiribati".

== History ==
[[File:Kiribati students (7750104314) (2).jpg|thumb|left|Flag of Kiribati]]
Kiribati's flag is an armorial banner, a flag having a design corresponding exactly to that of the shield in the coat of arms, the former badge of the flag of the British colony of the [[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]]. In a letter on 15 August 1892 to the [[High Commissioner for the Western Pacific|Western Pacific High Commissioner]], [[Arthur Grimble]] has written (concerning his badge proposal):
*"Sea. Represents the space of the ocean in which the colony is isolated".
*"Sun. The islands lie close to the 180 degree meridian. Sun is either rising or setting".
*"Bird. Frigate bird (''[[Fregata minor|Fregat Aquilla]]'' (''sic'')) symbolises power, poise and freedom. To the natives it is a sign of sovereignty and kingly birth, and highly regarded as such".

The coat of arms dates was then granted by the [[College of Arms]] in May 1937 when it was officially granted to the colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The shield was incorporated into the centre of the fly half of a British [[Blue Ensign]] as the state ensign of the colony.

A competition was held to design a new flag in the run-up to national independence, and a design based on the colonial coat of arms was submitted to the [[College of Arms]], which initially decided to modify the submission. Both the golden frigatebird and the sun were to be enlarged, whereas the widths of the waves was to be decreased. The locals insisted on the original design. The new flag was hoisted during the independence day celebrations in the capital, [[Tarawa]], on 12 July 1979.<ref name="Metcalf 2008 Flags">{{Cite book |last=Metcalf, Jonathan |title=Complete Flags of the World |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |year=2008 |isbn=9780756641153 |pages=232}}</ref>

=={{anchor|Historial flags}}Historical flags of Kiribati==
<gallery>
File:Flag of Tongatapu (1858-1862).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} [[Tuʻi Tonga Empire|Tongan Rule]] in Kiribati (1845–1862)
File:Flag of Tonga (1862-1866).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Tongan Rule in Kiribati (1862–1866)
File:Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Abemama_(April_1884-June_1884).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Kingdom of Abemama]] (April 1884 – June 1884)
File:Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Abemama_(1884-c._1889).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the Kingdom of Abemama (June 1884 – 1889)
File:Kingdom_of_Abemama_Flag.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Kingdom of Abemama]] (1889–1892)
File:Royal_Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Abemama_(c._1889-1892).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Royal flag of the Kingdom of Abemama (1889–1892)
File:Flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1937–1976).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]] (1937–1976)
File:Flag of the Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1937–1976).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands|Resident Commissioner and the Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands]] (1937–1976)
File:Flag of Japan (1870–1999).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands]] (1941–1943)
File:Flag of the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Gilbert Islands]] (1976–1979)
</gallery>

==References ==
*http://www.paclii.org/ki/legis/num_act/nia1989197.pdf
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{{Oceania topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Oceania]]}}

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[[Category:National symbols of Kiribati|Flag]]
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:Flags adopted through competition]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1979]]
[[Category:Flags displaying animals]]
[[Category:Flags displaying a sun]]