Flag History
To distinguish the flag of French Polynesia from that of Tahiti, the emblem was placed inthe center. Its main feature is a piragua, which is a status symbol as weel as an indispensable boat used for fishing and trasportation. The figures iin the piragua stand for the five parts of French Polynesia: the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Austral Islands and the Marquesas Islands. The yellow rays symbolize the sun and light, and the blue and white waves represent the riches of the Pacific on which the people have always relied for their livelihood.