Christmas Island Flag

The flag of Christmas Island was unofficially adopted in 1986

The flag of Christmas Island was unofficially adopted in 1986 after being chosen the winner in a competition for a flag for the territory. It was designed by Tony Couch of Sydney, Australia. The flag was made official on Australia Day, 2002 when the administrator of the territory, Bill Taylor, presented the flag to the Christmas Island Shire.

The flag of Christmas Island consists of a green and blue background, split the top left corner to the bottom right. These colors are intended to represent the land and sea respectively. The Southern Cross constellation appears in the bottom left of the flag in the same manner as it appears on the flag of Australia. In the top right, the golden bosun bird, one of six races of the white-tailed tropicbird, appears. It is considered to be a symbol of the Island. The last motif appears in the centre of the flag on a golden disc is the map of the island in green. The disc itself was originally only included to offset the green color of the map, but has become linked to the mining industry.

Phosphate mining was the the reason for first settlement in the 19th century and is still a major contributor to the local economy.

The island is also the place of entry for immigrants seeking asylum in Australia. Migrants from Southeast Asia make the journey by sea, often on rickety, over crowded boats that are weighed down with passengers and personal belongings. It is a dangerous trip and sometimes the boats capsize before they arrive. The Australian government operates a detention center on the island for these asylum seekers.

Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, which now looks unlikely to proceed after funding was withdrawn.