List of Papua New Guinean flags

This is a list of flags used in Papua New Guinea.

National flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1971–present	Flag of Papua New Guinea	Divided diagonally from the upper hoist-side corner to the lower fly-side corner: the upper triangle is red with a silhouette of the soaring Raggiana bird-of-paradise in yellow and the lower triangle is black with the Crux of four white larger five-pointed stars and a smaller star. Red and black have long been the colours of Papua New Guinea, the Raggiana bird-of-paradise is the national bird of the country, and the Southern Cross represents its position in the Southern Hemisphere.^[1]^[2]^[3] The original 1970 proposal by Hal Holman had a mainly negative reception, due to its appearance as that of a "mechanically contrived outcome", thus the alternative proposal attributed to Susan Karike was chosen instead.^[4]
	1840–Present^{[nb 1]}	Union Flag	Is flown in the country alongside the National Flag. The British flag is flown to show unity and loyalty to the Crown. When a member of the royal family flies to Papua New Guinea, they are greeted and given royal salute with the British flag of Papua New Guinea

Flag of the Governor-General

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1975–present	Standard of the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea	A dark blue field featuring a St. Edward's Crown surmounted by a lion with the name "PAPUA NEW GUINEA" on a scroll beneath it.

Ensigns

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1975–present	Naval Ensign of Papua New Guinea	A White Ensign with the flag of Papua New Guinea in the canton.

Provincial flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		Flag of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
		Flag of Central Province
		Flag of Chimbu
		Flag of Eastern Highlands
		Flag of East New Britain
		Flag of East Sepik
		Flag of Enga
		Flag of Gulf Province
		Flag of Hela
		Flag of Jiwaka
		Flag of Madang
		Flag of Manus
		Flag of Milne Bay
		Flag of Morobe
		Flag of the National Capital District
		Flag of New Ireland
		Flag of Oro
		Flag of Southern Highlands
		Flag of Western Province
		Flag of Western Highlands
		Flag of West New Britain
		Flag of Sandaun

Historical flags

Foreign Powers' Flags

Date	Use	Description
1526-1545	Flag of The Kingdom of Portugal	A white field with the Portuguese coat of arms in the center.
1545-1623	Flag of The Spanish Empire	A red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned (knotted) branches, on a white field.
1623-1795	The Prince's Flag	A horizontal triband of orange, white and blue.
1652–1672	States Flag	A horizontal triband of red, white and blue.
1795-1813	Flag of The French First Republic and The First French Empire	A vertical triband of blue, white, and red (proportions 3:2).
1795–1806	Flag of the Batavian Republic	A horizontal triband of red, white and blue with the Republic's emblem in the canton.
1813-1884	Flag of The Netherlands	A horizontal triband of red, white and blue.
1884-1971	Flag of The United Kingdom	A superimposition of the flags of England and Scotland with the Saint Patrick's Saltire (Representing Ireland).
1884-1899	Flag of The German New Guinea Company	A white field with the German tricolour on the canton and defaced with a black lion with a red sword.
1899-1918	Flag of The German Empire	A tricolour, made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), white, and red (bottom)
1899-1918	Colonial Flag of The German Empire	A tricolour, made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), white, and red (bottom) with The Reichsadler in the center.
1918-1921	Flag of The Weimar Republic	A triband made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), red, and gold (bottom).
1921-1971	Australian National Flag	A Blue Ensign defaced with the seven-point Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter and the five stars of the Southern Cross in the fly half.
1942-1944	Flag of The Empire of Japan	A white field with a red disc in the center.

Royal flags

Date	Use	Description
1556-1580	Royal Flag of Spain	A dark red square with the coat of arms of Spain in the center.
1580-1623	Royal Flag of Spain	A dark red square with the coat of arms of Spain in the center.
1804-1813	Imperial standard of Napoléon I
1815-1884	Royal Standard of the Dutch monarch	The colours of the flag of the Netherlands with the royal coat of arms (without the mantle).
1884-1971	The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom (except Scotland)	A banner of the Queen's Arms, the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.
1884-1888	German Emperor's Standard
1888–1918	German Emperor's Standard
1942-1944	Imperial Standard of the Emperor of Japan	A gold 16 petal chrysanthemum centered on a red field.
1962-1971	Personal Australian Flag of Queen Elizabeth II	Consists of a banner of the coat of arms of Australia, defaced with a gold seven-pointed federation star with a blue disc containing the letter E below a crown, surrounded by a garland of golden roses.

National flags

Date	Use	Description
1884–1888	Flag of British New Guinea	A blue British ensign with a white disc in the fly featuring the Tudor Crown over the initials "N.G.".
1888–1906	Flag of British New Guinea	A blue British ensign with a white disc in the fly featuring the Tudor Crown over the initials "B.N.G.".
1914–1949	Flag of the Territory of New Guinea	A blue British ensign with a white disc in the fly featuring the Tudor Crown over the letters "T.N.G.".
1906–1949	Flag of the Territory of Papua	A blue British ensign with a white disc in the fly featuring the Tudor Crown over the name "PAPUA".

Viceregal flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1906–1945	Flag of the Lieutenant-Governor of Papua	A Union Jack defaced with a white disc in the centre featuring the name "PAPUA" surmounted by a crown.

Sporting flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1965–1970	Specific flag for sporting events	Flag flown for the Territory at international sporting events. A red and yellow Raggiana bird-of-paradise on a green field.

Proposed flags

Date	Use	Description
Between 1884 and 1914	Proposed flags of German New Guinea	1st design incorporating the horizontal black-white-red tricolour of the German Empire.
Between 1884 and 1914	Proposed flags of German New Guinea	Another design incorporating the horizontal black-white-red tricolour of the German Empire.
Between 1884 and 1914	Proposed flags of German New Guinea	Another design incorporating the horizontal black-white-red tricolour of the German Empire.
1970–1971	Proposed flag of Papua and New Guinea	A vertical tricolour of blue, gold and green, with a white Southern Cross in the hoist and a white Raggiana bird-of-paradise. Designed by Hal Holman.