🇹🇻 The colours of Tuvalu

Tuvalu’s flag features light blue, yellow, and the Union Jack. The blue stands for the ocean surrounding the islands, while the yellow stars represent each of Tuvalu’s nine islands. The Union Jack symbolises the country’s historical and ongoing ties to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.

• Nine yellow stars stand for Tuvalu’s nine islands.
• The flag’s blue field represents the surrounding Pacific Ocean.
• The Union Jack shows Tuvalu’s links to the UK and Commonwealth.
• The flag’s design is set by the Tuvalu National Flag Act.
• A brief 1995 flag change was reversed after public opposition.

The colours of the flag of Tuvalu

Tuvalu’s flag is mainly light blue, officially called azure, with the Union Jack in the top left corner and nine yellow five-pointed stars on the right. The blue is said to represent the ocean that surrounds the islands. Each yellow star stands for one of Tuvalu’s nine islands, and their arrangement matches the islands’ positions. The Union Jack signals Tuvalu’s connection to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. These meanings are described in official sources and reflect both formal and popular understanding.

How the colours were chosen of Tuvalu

Tuvalu’s colours have roots in its colonial past as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, which used a Blue Ensign with a coat of arms. After separating in 1975, Tuvalu adopted its own symbols, including a light blue shield in its coat of arms. The current flag was chosen at independence in 1978, designed by Vione Natano. In 1995, a new flag with red, white, and blue bands and eight stars was introduced to signal a move towards republicanism, but it was unpopular and quickly replaced with the original design in 1997.

Official shades and rules of Tuvalu

The Tuvalu National Flag Act sets out the flag’s design: a 1:2 width-to-length ratio, the Union Jack covering a quarter of the flag, and nine yellow stars in the fly half, each star 1/12th the flag’s width. The arrangement of the stars matches the islands’ locations, but there is no rule about which way the stars point.