flag of the Solomon Islands

The British protectorate that was established over the Solomon Islands in 1893 introduced typical British colonial flags. The Union Jack and British Red Ensign were the same as those used in the United Kingdom; the Blue Ensign had a badge featuring local symbols. The first badge had the name of the protectorate and the royal crown, whereas a new badge introduced in 1947 showed a stylized black-and-white sea turtle on a red background. The arms were changed in 1956 to a more complex design because the 1947 badge had emphasized a symbol associated only with one district of the islands. The new coat of arms was quartered and bore an eagle, turtle, lion, frigate bird, and various local weapons.

In anticipation of independence many flag designs were submitted, including one with the coat of arms. Finally, a simple pattern was chosen and officially adopted on November 18, 1977, eight months before independence. The diagonal yellow stripe stands for the sun and divides the background into two triangles. The lower (green) triangle stands for the trees and crops of the fertile land. The upper (blue) triangle indicates the importance of water for the islands—rivers and rain as well as the surrounding ocean. The five white stars on the blue originally stood for the five districts (provinces) into which the country was divided, but the number of stars did not change when additional provinces were created.