Which Oceanian country has a flag with nine stars?

Tuvalu has a flag with nine stars, representing the country’s nine islands. The stars appear on the fly side of the flag, opposite the Union Jack in the canton.

Tuvalu’s flag is a light-blue ensign adopted after independence from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1978. Its British-style design reflects Tuvalu’s history as a former British dependency, while the light-blue field evokes the Pacific Ocean. The nine yellow stars are arranged in a geographically accurate pattern, with their layout corresponding to the position of the islands.

The flag has briefly displayed a different number of stars. In 1995, one star was removed, partly to reflect the meaning of the name Tuvalu, often explained as “eight together.” A replacement flag without the Union Jack was introduced in 1996, but it proved unpopular. The original nine-star design was restored in 1997.

The stars are therefore more than decoration: they identify the island group that makes up Tuvalu. Kiribati’s flag also features celestial imagery, which can make it a tempting but incorrect choice.