Flag of French Polynesia

French Polynesia

Flag of French Polynesia
Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	23 November 1984;40 years ago (1984-11-23)
Design	Two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio, with the Coat of arms centred on the white stripe
Le Tricolore
Flag of the French Republic
Use	National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	15 February 1794

The flag of French Polynesia was adopted in 1984. ^[1] It is composed of two red horizontal bands, which encase a wide white band twice as wide as each red band, defaced with the Emblem of French Polynesia.

Under the organic law on the status of French Polynesia, it is one of the "distinctive signs allowing the personality" of the country (fenua in Tahitian) to be marked "in official public events alongside the national emblem and the signs of the Republic". ^[2]

Design

Two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centred on the white band is the emblem of French Polynesia as a 0.43m diameter disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; ^[3] red and white are traditional Polynesian colours.

Colours

Scheme	Red	White	Blue	Yellow
Refs	[4]
Pantone (paper)	185 C	Safe	286 C	116 C
HEX	#e4002b	#FFFFFF	#0033a0	#FFCD00
CMYK	0, 100, 81, 11	0, 0, 0, 0	100, 68, 0, 37	0, 10, 98, 0
RGB	227, 0, 43	255, 255, 255	0, 51, 161	255, 205, 0

History

Assembly of French Polynesia with flags of French Polynesia and France.

Flag of Kingdom of Tahiti, used 1788–1843

The flag was designed by Alfred Chalons, a technology and plastic arts teacher at La Mennais high school, who entered the competition with the support of his students. ^[5] The flag was presented to the Assembly of French Polynesia on November 20, 1984 with the following words:

Pour la Polynésie ce drapeau symbolisera, enfin et surtout, pour les prochaines générations, l'esprit de liberté, de responsabilité et d'initiative d'un peuple tourné vers l'avenir et attaché, au travers des valeurs traditionnelles, à sa dignité et à son épanouissement.

For Polynesia this flag will symbolize, finally and above all, for future generations, the spirit of freedom, responsibility and initiative of a people turned towards the future and attached, through traditional values, to its dignity and its development.

It is inspired by the flag of the Kingdom of Tahiti, (1788–1880) which is the same save for the emblem of French Polynesia, which was adopted by letter of Governor Jean Chastenet de Géry dated 14 September 1939.

The assembly approved this emblem by resolution number 84-1030 AT, in its session of November 23, 1984, in application of law number 84-820 of September 6, 1984 relating to the status of the territory of French Polynesia.

Its use is officially regulated by a decree of December 4, 1985.

Use

The flag of French Polynesia and of France flying alongside the flags of the component archipelagos in Pape'ete.

According to the articles of adoption, the flag of French Polynesia must be displayed with the French tricolour, and may be displayed with the flags of the component archipelagos. The French Polynesian flag must be displayed to the left of the French flag, and the flag of the archipelago must be displayed to its right. ^[6] Under the organic law on the status of French Polynesia, it is one of the "distinctive signs allowing the personality" of the country (fenua in Tahitian) to be marked "in official public events alongside the national emblem and the signs of the Republic". ^[2]

Flags of component archipelagos

• 
  Flag of the Austral Islands
• 
  Flag of the Gambier Islands
• 
  Flag of the Marquesas Islands
• 
  Flag of the Leeward Islands
• 
  Sports Flag of the Leeward Islands
• 
  Flag of the Tuamotu Archipelago

Flags of the Society Islands

Leeward Islands

• 
  Flag of Bora Bora
• 
  Flag of Raiatea
• 
  Flag of Huahine

Windward Islands

• 
  Flag of Tahiti
• 
  Flag of Moorea-Maiao

Flags of the Tuamotu Archipelago

• 
  Flag of Hao
• 
  Flag of Makatea
• 
  Flag of Reao Pukaruha

Flags of the Austral Islands

• 
  Flag of Rapa Iti
• 
  Flag of Rimatara
• 
  Flag of Rurutu
• 
  Flag of Tubuai
• 
  Flag of Raivavae

See also

• Flag of France
• Coat of arms of French Polynesia
• Gallery of Polynesian flags

References

1. "Délibération n° 84-1030 AT du 23 novembre 1984 portant approbation du drapeau et des armes de la Polynésie française". lexpol.pf.
2. "Loi organique n° 2004-192 du 27 février 2004 portant statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française (1) - Légifrance". www.legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
3. "The Flag of French Polynesia". flagdb.com. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
4. "Polynésie française - Société Française de Vexillologie". drapeaux-sfv.org. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
5. "Il y a 40 ans, Alfred Chalons créait le drapeau polynésien - Radio1 Tahiti" (in French). 13 December 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
6. "Arrêté n° 1196 CM du 4 décembre 1985 réglementant l'apposition et l'exposition de drapeaux, pavillons et emblèmes le long des voies publiques et sur les bâtiments administratifs, édifices et monuments de service public". emblemes.free.fr. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

External links

Media related to Flags of French Polynesia at Wikimedia Commons