Tuvalu Flag

The flag of Tuvalu was adopted upon independence from the Gilbert and Ellis Islands in 1976. The Ellis Islands became Tuvalu upon the division. Prior to separating, the flag had consisted of a traditional royal blue ensign with a coat of arms in the right field.

The current Tuvalu flag is a sky blue British style ensign bearing the Union Flag in the upper left canton. In the field, are 9 stars representing the 9 islands which come together to form Tuvalu. When flown in a vertical position from the hoist, the stars and the islands are geographically and astronomically positioned correctly on the planet.

In 1995 following nationalist inspiration, the flag was replaced with a one, which eliminated any reference to the British flag, although the configuration of islands depicted by stars remained the same. The new flag was not popular with Tuvalu’s who felt this was a major step towards republicanism and away from their beloved Tuvalu monarchy in the person of HRM Queen Elizabeth II. The British style ensign was returned to use in 1997, with some minor changes.