A boar’s tusk appears on the flag of Vanuatu. It forms a golden circular emblem around two crossed namele fronds in the black triangular section of the flag.
The tusk is a powerful symbol in ni-Vanuatu culture. It represents custom, tradition, and prosperity, and traditionally worn tusks can signify status, wealth, or ceremonial importance. The boar itself has long been important in island communities, including in feasting, exchange, and customary ceremonies.
The flag was adopted in 1980, when Vanuatu became independent from the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides. Its red, green, black, and yellow colors were associated with the independence movement and were incorporated into the national design. The yellow Y-shaped band represents the shape of the islands and the light of the gospel spreading through them.
A common mix-up is to identify the central symbol as a ring or crescent. It is specifically a boar tusk, while the leaves inside it are namele fronds. Those fronds symbolize peace, and their 39 leaflets originally represented the 39 members of Vanuatu’s first Parliament.