Vanuatu, "the country that stands up"

Formerly called New Hebrides, this Melanesian archipelago became an independent state in 1980 under the name of Vanuatu, "the country that stands up."

Its new flag has two red and green horizontal strips separated from a black triangle by a Y-shaped yellow strip which reflects the geographical position of the islands. The red stands for the blood of men and pigs, the green, richness, the black the people and the yellow the light of the gospel. In the centre of the triangle are a pig's tusk and two crossed fern fronds.