Flag of French Polynesia
Locally Polynésie française
What the flag looks like
Three horizontal bands of red, white and red, the white band twice as tall, with a central disc showing a Polynesian outrigger canoe in front of a golden sun, above blue and white waves.
What it means
Red-white-red goes back to the flags of the old Kingdom of Tahiti; the canoe carries five figures for the five archipelagos, sailing between the sun and the ocean.
How to remember it
French Polynesia
is Lebanon's
red-white-red layout, but instead of a green cedar the white band holds a canoe sailing in front of a golden sun.
Fun facts
- The five figures in the canoe stand for the Society, Tuamotu, Gambier, Marquesas and Austral archipelagos.
- Its 118 islands and atolls are scattered across an area of ocean about the size of Western Europe.
French Polynesia at a glance
- Status
- Overseas collectivity of France
- Sovereign state
- France
- Capital
- Papeete
- Region
- French overseas collectivity
- Population
- 278,786
- Area
- 4,167 km²
- Languages
- French, Tahitian
- Currency
- CFP franc (₣)
- Flag adopted
- 1984
Flags often confused with French Polynesia
- Lebanon: Lebanon and French Polynesia are both red-white-red with a white band twice as tall as the red ones. Lebanon has a green cedar tree in the center; French Polynesia has a canoe in front of a golden sun above blue waves.
- Austria: Austria and French Polynesia are both red-white-red horizontal stripes. Austria's stripes are equal and plain; French Polynesia's white band is twice as tall and carries a canoe and sun emblem.