and
cycad frond detail The green represents the richness of the islands, the red symbolises blood which unites humanity as humans, and the black the
Melanesian
ni-Vanuatu people. The
Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Father
Walter Lini, requested the inclusion of yellow and black
fimbriations to make the black stand out. The yellow Y-shape (
pall) represents the shape of Vanuatu islands on the map and the light of
the gospel going through the pattern of the islands in the
Pacific Ocean (approximately 83% of the people of Vanuatu profess
Christianity). The emblem in the black is a boar's tusk—the symbol of customs and tradition but also prosperity. It is worn as a pendant on the islands—along with two leaves of the local
namele tree. These leaves are supposed to be a token of peace, and their 39 leaflets represent the original 39 members of the
Parliament of Vanuatu. == Construction ==