Flag of Tonga
A red field with a white rectangle in the upper hoist corner. In the white is a red cross with arms of equal length.
What the flag means
King George Tupou I wanted a flag that showed the Christian faith. Flag references give the cross as Christianity, the red as the blood of Christ and the white as purity.
History
Prince Uelingatoni Ngu Tupoumalohi is credited as the chief designer, working with the Wesleyan missionary Shirley Baker. The first version, from 1862, was a red cross on white. It was too close to the Red Cross emblem adopted in 1863, so the cross was moved into the canton of a red flag by 1866. The constitution of 4 November 1875 made this design the national flag.
Article 47 of the 1875 constitution says the flag shall never be altered.
Earlier flags of Tonga
- 1862–1866White flag with a red cross in the centre
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of Tonga
- Flags of the World: Tonga
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
