Oceania · PN / PCN
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands flag is a British blue ensign carrying the territory's coat of arms in the fly. It is the flag of one of the world's smallest communities, descended from the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions, on a remote island in the South Pacific.
What the Pitcairn Islands flag looks like
The flag is a blue ensign: a dark blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist corner. In the fly is the coat of arms of Pitcairn, drawn on a shield with a helmet and crest above it, surrounded by a green and gold wreath. The proportions are 1:2.
The shield is blue, yellow and green, and it carries an anchor and a Bible. Above the shield, the crest is a wheelbarrow with a slip of miro, a local tree. The Pitcairn Islands flag emoji reduces this to the Union Jack and a small colored badge.
Pitcairn Islands flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#012169RGB
1, 33, 105CMYK
99, 69, 0, 59HEX
#C8102ERGB
200, 16, 46CMYK
0, 92, 77, 22HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0HEX
#337321RGB
51, 115, 33CMYK
56, 0, 71, 55HEX
#F7E017RGB
247, 224, 23CMYK
0, 9, 91, 3Pitcairn Islands flag meaning and symbolism
The Union Jack shows the link with the United Kingdom, to which Pitcairn is a British Overseas Territory. The anchor and the Bible are symbols of HMS Bounty, and the Bible also stands for the Christianity the mutineers brought to the island. The blue, yellow and green of the shield represent the island of Pitcairn rising from the Pacific. The wheelbarrow and the slip of miro refer to the role of agriculture in helping the mutineers survive, and the miro is also the wood islanders use to craft souvenirs.
History of the Pitcairn Islands flag
In 1789 part of the crew of HMS Bounty, led by Fletcher Christian, mutinied against Captain William Bligh. A group of the mutineers, with several Tahitian men and women, settled on uninhabited Pitcairn in 1790 and burned the ship. Their descendants still make up most of the islanders. Britain annexed the island in 1838, and most of its history since has been as a small colony with a few dozen to a couple of hundred people.
The coat of arms was granted by royal warrant in November 1969, and the flag, a blue ensign with the arms, was granted on 2 April 1984 after the Island Council suggested the design in 1980. Pitcairn Islands is a group of four islands, but only Pitcairn is inhabited. The others, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno, are uninhabited, and Henderson is a World Heritage site.
Pitcairn Islands flag facts
| Country | Pitcairn |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | 1984 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #012169, #C8102E, #FFFFFF, #337321, #F7E017 |
| Symbols | coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands, Union Jack |
| Flag emoji | 🇵🇳 |
| Country code | PN, PCN (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Adamstown |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Population | 50 |
| Area | 47 km² |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar, Pitcairn Islands dollar |
| National anthem | We From Pitcairn Island |
Pitcairn Islands flag: frequently asked questions
What country does Pitcairn Island belong to?
It belongs to the United Kingdom. Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno form a British Overseas Territory governed through the British High Commissioner in New Zealand.
Does anybody still live on Pitcairn Island?
Yes. Around 50 people live on Pitcairn, mostly in the settlement of Adamstown, making it one of the least populated territories in the world.
Are Pitcairn Islanders British citizens?
Islanders are British citizens. Since the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, people connected with the territory hold full British citizenship.
What is on the Pitcairn Islands flag?
The flag is a Blue Ensign with the Union Jack in the upper left corner and the Pitcairn coat of arms on the fly. The shield is blue, yellow and green, with an anchor and a Bible, and is topped by a wheelbarrow and a slip of miro.
When was the Pitcairn Islands flag adopted?
The flag was granted on 2 April 1984 and first flown in May 1984 during a visit by Governor Richard Stratton. The Island Council had suggested the design in December 1980.
What does the Pitcairn Islands coat of arms mean?
The blue, yellow and green shield stands for Pitcairn rising from the Pacific, while the anchor and Bible refer to HMS Bounty and Christianity. The wheelbarrow and miro slip show how agriculture helped the settlers survive. The arms were granted on 4 November 1969.
