The flag of Bikini Atoll, a member of the Marshall Islands, closely resembles the

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...

and was adopted in 1987. The flag is symbolic of the islanders' position that a great debt is still owed by the

U.S. government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

to the people of Bikini because in 1954 the United States detonated the Castle Bravo

hydrogen bomb A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lowe ...

on the island, poisoning islanders and others with nuclear fallout.

Design

The 23 white stars in the canton of the flag represent the 23 islands of Bikini Atoll. The three black stars in the upper right represent the three islands that were obliterated in March 1954 during the 15-megaton Bravo test by the United States. The two black stars in the lower right corner represent where the Bikinians live now, Kili Island, to the south of Bikini Atoll, and Ejit Island of Majuro Atoll. These two stars are symbolically far away from Bikini's stars on the flag as the islands are in real life (both in distance and quality of life). The Marshallese language words on the flag, (modern spelling ), (which translates as "Everything is in the hands of God") was the reply Bikinian leader Juda gave to U.S. Commodore Ben Wyatt in 1946 when the American asked the islanders to give up their islands for "the good of mankind and to end all world wars."

Symbolism

The similarity to the American flag design and the striking isolation of the 3-star group and the 2-star group represent the position of the islanders that the Government of the United States still has obligations to their people, including reparations for the nuclear testing and resettlement of the Bikinians who were exiled.

References

External links

Anthem, Story, Interviews and the Flag of Bikini Atoll
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bikini Atoll Flags of the Marshall Islands Bikini Atoll Flags introduced in 1987, Bikini Atoll