The flag of Vanuatu has four colors: red, green, black, and yellow. These colors were inherited from the flag of the Vanua'aku Pati, the political movement that led the country toward independence.
Vanuatu adopted its national flag in 1980, when the former New Hebrides became independent. Red represents blood and unity, green symbolizes the richness of the islands, and black represents the Melanesian people. Yellow is used for the Y-shaped pall and its edging.
The yellow Y is more than a decorative stripe: it represents the shape of the Vanuatu island chain on a map and the spread of Christianity through the Pacific. The black triangle contains a boar's tusk and two namele fronds, symbols of tradition, prosperity, and peace.
A common counting mistake is to treat the emblem's gold elements as a separate color from yellow. In standard flag descriptions, gold is grouped with yellow, leaving four principal colors.