pacific ocean
Palmyra Atoll
As is the case with all unorganized territories of the United States, incorporated or not, the official flag of Palmyra Atoll is the flag of the United States. The flag shown is strictly unofficial. I cannot locate any information about the designer of the flag nor when it was created and first flown, if, in fact, it has ever flown on the atoll itself. Guess would be that is was designed by a previous owner or by Nature Conservancy staff, but this is strictly a guess.
Wake Island
The most significant image on the flag is that of a large yellow circle set in the center of the blue section. This circle, reminiscent of a coin or medallion, is emblazoned with a rough map of the island done in blue. Wake Island is written on the top and bottom of this disk in capital letters as well, also in blue. The flag also incorporates another element from the American flag, the presence of stars. The yellow circle is surrounded by three stars. These stars are also yellow in color and each one has five points. The stars are set on the top, bottom, and right side of the circle.
Midway Atoll
The top is sky blue, the thin stripe is white for the beach and the turquoise bottom stripe is for the color of the surrounding ocean. The bird, a Laysan Albatross, is white and black. It was designed for the Memorial Day 2000 event being held at the USS Arizona. The flag was designed by the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge staff with assistance of a National Park Service employee. This flag has no official status, other than that it will be used to represent Midway Island in a Memorial Day ceremony. The flag has the same status as a small US city’s flag – it is accepted as the flag by the inhabitants even though the federal government hasn’t given the flag official status.
Japan
Public perception of the national flag varies. Historically, both Western and Japanese sources claimed the flag was a powerful and enduring symbol to the Japanese. Since the end of World War II, the use of the flag and the national anthem has been a contentious issue for Japan’s public schools. Disputes about their use have led to protests and lawsuits. The flag is not frequently displayed in Japan due to its association with ultra-nationalism. For some nations that have been occupied by Japan, the flag is a symbol of aggression and imperialism.
Wallis and Futuna Islands – Where in the World Are They?
Communication costs are high, costing up to ten times as much as in western countries. The island of Wallis has about 62 mi of roadways, of which 16 are paved, while the island of Futuna has only 12 mi and none are paved. The territory has two main ports and harbours, Mata-Utu and Leava (on the island of Futuna), that support its merchant marine fleet consisting of three ships (two passenger ships and a petroleum tanker).
There are two airports, Hihifo Airport on Wallis and Pointe Vele Airport on Futuna. New Caledonia-based Aircalin operates the only commercial flights that go to Wallis, where it has an office in Mata-Utu. From Wallis it is possible to fly on, or back as the actual case happens to be, to Futuna.
Nickel Island – The Flag of New Caledonia
As is true of all component territories of Overseas France, the only official flag is the French tricolor. However, there is an unofficial flag that may be seen flying in New Caledonia and this is the flag we flew today on our own flagpole. This flag was approved in July 2010 by the Congress of New Caledonia.
The blue symbolizes the sky and the ocean surrounding New Caledonia. The red symbolizes the blood shed by the Kanaks in their struggle for independence. The green symbolizes the land itself. The yellow disc is a representation of the sun and the symbol upon it consists of a flèche faitière, a kind of arrow that adorns the roofs of Kanak houses thrust through tutut shells.
Today’s Flag – French Polynesia
The flag consists of two red horizontal bands which encase a wide white band. The bands are at a fixed width ratio of 1:2:1. In the center of the white band is a blue and white disk with a blue and white wave pattern which depicts the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern which depicts on the upper half. There is a Polynesian canoe riding on the wave pattern. The canoe has a crew of five, represented by five stars. The five stars are meant to symbolize the five island groups (The Bass Islands are generally grouped with the Austral Islands even though they are geographically distinct and separate from the main Austral archipelago.