The garland around the emblem on the Northern Mariana Islands flag is called a mwarmwar.
The mwarmwar is a multicoloured floral wreath surrounding the flag’s central symbols. It represents the Carolinian people, one of the major cultural communities of the Northern Mariana Islands. The wreath is therefore more than decoration: it is part of the flag’s symbolic structure.
The flag also contains a white star representing the United States and a grey latte stone representing the Chamorro people. Its dark-blue field evokes the Pacific Ocean and the nearby Mariana Trench. Together, these elements connect the islands’ political status, Indigenous heritage and oceanic setting.
The flowers associated with the mwarmwar include green ylang-ylang, white plumeria, the red peacock flower and pink Pacific basil. “Lei” is a tempting answer because both terms can refer to floral garlands, but mwarmwar is the specific name used for this Northern Mariana Islands symbol. The flag was adopted on July 1, 1985.