Palau Flag

Description

The Palau flag is available from Flags Online in full-size and desk formats, printed on both sides and made to last outdoors.

About the Palau Flag

The Palau flag is one of the simplest national flags in the world: a solid pale blue field with a golden disc set slightly off-centre toward the hoist. It was adopted on 1 January 1981, the day Palau’s constitution came into force, and has represented the Republic of Palau through its transition to full sovereignty in 1994. Despite its plain appearance, the design carries deliberate meaning, and Palauans regard it with genuine pride as a marker of self-rule after decades under foreign administration.

Colours and Symbolism

The pale blue field stands for the Pacific Ocean that surrounds Palau’s more than three hundred islands, and more broadly for the nation’s move from foreign control toward self-government. The golden disc represents the full moon, considered by Palauans to be the best time for harvesting, fishing, planting taro and holding ceremonies. It is also read as a symbol of peace, love and tranquillity. Placing the disc off-centre, closer to the hoist, is a deliberate design choice: it creates a sense of movement across the field rather than a static, centred emblem, and it distinguishes the Palau flag from similar blue-and-disc designs used elsewhere in the Pacific.

History of the Palau Flag

Before 1981, Palau had no flag of its own. As part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the United States under a United Nations mandate, it flew alongside the UN and US flags rather than a distinct national banner. When Palau adopted its own constitution and moved toward self-government, a design competition produced the blue-and-disc design now used as the Palau flag, credited to Palauan artist John Blau Skebong. The flag was retained without alteration when Palau became fully independent in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States, and it has never been redesigned since its original adoption.

Flying and Displaying the Flag

The Palau flag is flown at government buildings, schools and public institutions throughout the islands, and Palauan households and businesses fly it on national days such as Constitution Day and Independence Day. As with most national flags, it should be hoisted briskly and lowered slowly, kept clear of the ground, and retired once it becomes badly faded or torn. Because the design relies on a specific pale blue rather than a deep navy, and on the disc sitting off-centre rather than in the middle, getting the proportions and shade right matters more with this flag than with busier designs. A flag printed too dark, or with the disc centred, no longer reads correctly as Palau’s national symbol.

Palau Flag Sizes and Pricing

• 180 x 120cm — R860
• 22 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R800
• 10 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R650
• 90 x 60cm — R400

Material and Construction

Made from 100% polyester bunting material and digitally printed on both sides. Hemmed all around with two rows of stitching and finished with a polyester webbing heading. Rope and toggle for hoisting included.

Supplied in packs of 10. Printed on both sides onto polyester and supplied with a black plastic stick and removable base — take the base off and it doubles as a hand waving flag.

Ordering and Delivery

Every Palau flag is printed to order and dispatched from our Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg branches, with courier delivery nationwide. Bulk and school orders are welcome — contact us for volume pricing on quantities of 10 or more.

Additional information