How many human figures are shown in the canoe on French Polynesia's flag? Five human figures are shown in the canoe emblem on French Polynesia's flag.
The central emblem depicts a traditional Polynesian sailing canoe riding on stylised waves beneath a rising sun. Its five figures, sometimes described in flag references as a five-person crew or represented symbolically by five stars, stand for French Polynesia's five main island groups.
Those groups are the Society Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands and Marquesas Islands. The canoe reflects the importance of seafaring, travel and traditional navigation throughout Polynesian history, while the surrounding sun and ocean reinforce the maritime setting.
French Polynesia adopted the flag on 23 November 1984. It has red bands above and below a wider white band, with the emblem centred in the middle. It is easy to confuse the figures with decorative details in the small emblem, but the intended crew symbolism is five, not four or six.