Flag of the Republic of Palau
Description
- Light blue field with a large yellow disc slightly offset toward the hoist
- Adopted on 1 January 1981 when Palau achieved internal self-government under the Compact of Free Association
Trivia
- Although the colours and disc-on-blue layout resemble Japan's flag, the Palauan disc represents the moon rather than the sun and is deliberately off-centre
- The full moon is considered the best time for fishing, planting, and celebrations in Palauan tradition
- Palau is the world's twelfth-smallest country by population, with around 18,000 residents
Flag of Palau
Palau adopted its flag on 1 January 1981, the day the country achieved internal self-government under the Compact of Free Association. The design, selected from a public competition, shows a large yellow disc slightly offset toward the hoist on a light blue field.
The light blue represents the Pacific Ocean and Palau's transition from foreign domination — first Spanish, then German, Japanese, and finally American trusteeship — to self-government. The yellow disc depicts not the sun but the full moon, considered in Palauan tradition the optimal time for fishing, planting, harvesting, and community celebrations. Although the colour scheme resembles Japan's flag, the deliberate off-centre placement and moon symbolism set Palau's ensign firmly within its own Micronesian cultural tradition.
json:data
{
"g": "nf,oceania",
"ns": "palau",
"id": "palau",
"index": "c/palau",
"title": "Flag of the Republic of Palau",
"ratio": "5:8",
"colors": [
{
"color": "blue",
"hex": "#4AADD6",
"note": "Represents the Pacific Ocean and the transition from foreign domination to self-government"
},
{
"color": "yellow",
"hex": "#FFDE00",
"note": "The disc representing the full moon, considered the optimal time for human activity in Palauan tradition"
}
],
"desc": "- Light blue field with a large yellow disc slightly offset toward the hoist\n - Adopted on 1 January 1981 when Palau achieved internal self-government under the Compact of Free Association\n",
"article": "palau/flag.md",
"use": {
"as": "national flag",
"since": "1981-01-01"
},
"of": {
"country": "palau"
},
"countryData": {
"name": "Palau",
"officialName": "Republic of Palau",
"continent": "oceania",
"location": "Micronesia, western Pacific",
"un": "member"
},
"trivia": "- Although the colours and disc-on-blue layout resemble Japan's flag, the Palauan disc represents the moon rather than the sun and is deliberately off-centre\n - The full moon is considered the best time for fishing, planting, and celebrations in Palauan tradition\n - Palau is the world's twelfth-smallest country by population, with around 18,000 residents\n",
"flag": "palau/flag.svg",
"_name": "Palau",
"_namespace": "palau",
"_namePart": ""
}