Did you know that the flag of Papua New Guinea was designed by a student? And that the image depicts a typical bird of the region? Learning more about the flag of a country is an excellent gateway to much knowledge about a nation.

The flag of Papua New Guinea is divided diagonally into two well defined sections. On the left, we have the constellation of the Southern Cross. This symbol is very common to see depicted on the flags of the Southern Hemisphere countries, and can be seen from Papua New Guinea. On the right, we see the silhouette of a bird-of-paradise, a typical bird of the region.

The flag design was chosen through a national competition. The design that was picked was made by the then student Susan Karike, who was 15 years old at the time. Red and black, the traditional colors of the tribes of the region, are prevalent in the flag. The bird of paradise is also in the coat of arms of Papua New Guinea.

The current flag of Papua New Guinea was first adopted on July 1, 1971. Until then, as a territory of Australia, it did not have a state flag. In sports competitions and similar events, the territory wore a flag with the bird of paradise on a green background.

Do you like the flag of Papua New Guinea? It’s fascinating to discover so much about the characteristics of a country only by looking at the flag. Keep an eye here in the Logbook to learn even more about the countries we are visiting.