The Secret History Behind Papua New Guinea's Flag

Papua New Guinea's flag was designed by a fifteen-year-old girl.

In 1971, with independence on the horizon, the country held a national contest for a new flag design. The winner was Susan Karike, a fifteen-year-old student. Her design split the flag diagonally: black on one side, red on the other. Across the black, a golden bird-of-paradise — the nation's bird — soars in flight. Across the red, the Southern Cross constellation, in white, marks the country's place beneath southern skies.

On September 16, 1975, Karike's design rose over a newly independent nation for the first time — the date printed on every Papua New Guinea design in our catalog.

Most national flags are the work of committees, kings, or centuries of tradition. This one is the work of a teenager who entered a contest and won.

Shop the Papua New Guinea collection → — or explore the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Story Cards page.