The Tongan flag is a red field with a white rectangle in the top corner, and a red cross inside the white. The cross stands for Christianity, the red for the blood of Christ and the white for purity. It was adopted on 4 November 1875, the day Tonga's constitution was proclaimed, and that constitution says the flag can never be altered.
In this article
- What the colours mean
- Who designed it
- Why not a plain white flag
- Why it can never change
- Tongan flag vs Samoan flag
- Where you see it today
- Frequently asked questions
What do the colours of the Tongan flag mean?
Each part of the flag carries one idea.
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The red cross | Christianity, which is practised by the great majority of Tongans |
| Red | The blood of Jesus Christ shed at the crucifixion |
| White | Purity |
It is one of a small number of national flags in the world that carry an openly Christian symbol, and for many Tongans that is exactly the point. Faith and nationhood were written into the same founding document.
Who designed the Tongan flag?
King George Tupou I wanted a flag that would represent Christianity. He worked on it with Shirley Waldemar Baker, the missionary who also helped shape Tonga's coat of arms and national anthem. The flag historian Whitney Smith names Prince Uelingatoni Ngu Tupoumalohi as its chief designer.
The flag was fixed in law with the constitution of 4 November 1875, which is why that date is taken as its adoption.
Why is the cross in the corner and not in the middle?
An earlier Tongan flag was exactly that: a plain white field with a red cross. It turned out to look almost identical to the emblem of the International Red Cross, adopted in 1863. The answer was to move the white field and its cross into the top corner and set it on red. The older white design is still recognised as a national symbol of Tonga.
Can the Tongan flag ever be changed?
Not under the constitution as written. Article 47 says the flag shall never be altered and shall always be the flag of Tonga. Most countries can change their flag by passing a law. Tonga would have to change its constitution first, which makes the flag one of the most protected national symbols anywhere.
How is the Tongan flag different from the Samoan flag?
They are often confused at a distance because both are mostly red with a symbol in the top corner. Up close they say different things.
| Tonga | Samoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Colours | Red and white | Red, blue and white |
| Symbol in the corner | A red cross on white | The Southern Cross, five white stars on blue |
| What it points to | Faith | Place, the night sky over the southern Pacific |
| Adopted | 4 November 1875 | 24 February 1949 |
| Shape | Twice as long as it is tall | Twice as long as it is tall |
| Can it be changed | The constitution says never | By law, like most flags |
More on the two nations behind the two flags in Samoan or Tongan, and the full story of Samoa's own flag in the Samoan flag explained.
Where do Tongans fly the flag today?
Everywhere Tongans gather. It is draped over shoulders at rugby and rugby league tests, hung from cars on game day, carried at graduations and worn at weddings and church celebrations across Auckland, Sydney, Salt Lake City and the islands. For a family far from Nuku'alofa, the red and white is a way of saying where you are from without saying a word.
Umbrellas, MagSafe cases, the Toko phone case, the 676 Tonga tee and the Tonga Samoa hoodie, made to order.
See the Tongan shelf →Frequently asked questions
When was the Tongan flag adopted?
On 4 November 1875, the day Tonga's constitution was proclaimed. The flag was written into that constitution.
Why does the Tongan flag have a red cross?
King George Tupou I wanted the flag to represent Christianity. The red is read as the blood of Christ and the white as purity.
Can the Tongan flag be changed?
Article 47 of the constitution says the flag shall never be altered, so it could only change if the constitution itself were changed first.
Is the Tongan flag the same as the Red Cross flag?
No. An earlier Tongan flag, a red cross on plain white, was too close to the Red Cross emblem, which is why the cross was moved into a white corner on a red field.
What is the difference between the Tongan and Samoan flags?
Tonga's flag is red and white with a cross. Samoa's is red, blue and white with the five stars of the Southern Cross. Tonga's dates from 1875 and Samoa's from 1949.
Fly it every day
Tongan prints on umbrellas, cases, tees and hoodies, made to order.
See the Tongan shelf →Made to order and shipped to your door.
Read next: Samoan or Tongan? · The Samoan flag explained
