Papua New Guinea Flag

The Papua New Guinea flag was adopted on July 1, 1971. Susan Karike, who was 15 years old at the time, produced the design, which was chosen in a nationwide competition. The flag has a black and red field with a white representation of the Southern Cross constellation.

The constellation is made up of four five-pointed stars and signifies the country's southern hemisphere location. A Raggiana bird-of-paradise, silhouetted in yellow, is superimposed over the constellation. The bird of paradise is also viewed as a symbol of national identity and features on the national coat of arms.

The colors red and black have long been associated with many Papua New Guinean tribes. The current flag was also influenced by the black-white-red color combination of the German Empire flag, which had dominated the region prior to 1918. Prior to the country's independence, the Australian administration recommended an alternate flag design with blue, yellow, and green stripes, as well as the bird-of-paradise and Southern Cross.

The design, produced by Hal Holman, was supposed to represent New Guinea's sea, islands, and coastlines, as well as the country's mineral richness and unity, but it was rejected as a “mechanically constructed outcome,” therefore Susan Karike's design was picked instead.