Papua New Guinea Flag - Independent State of

The flag of the Independent State of Papau New Guinea was adopted on July 1, 1971 upon independence from Australia. It had been chosen as the winning entry in a nationwide competition whereby the winner was15 year old schoolgirl Susan Huhume.

The Papau New Guinea flag is divided diagonally from the upper hoist-side corner. The upper right triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered while the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars representing the constellation the Southern Cross also centered. Red and black have long been traditional colours of Papua New Guinean tribes. They also symbolise the German Empire under which the colony was administered prior to 1918. The bird of paradise is representative of the national coat of arms and the Southern Cross symbolises administration of the nation as the Australian Trust Territory of Papau and New Guinea as it was known prior to independence.