Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef Flag

Kingman Reef was discovered and charted by an American - Captain Edmund Fanning - on June 14, 1798. It was annexed to the United States on May 20, 1922 by a Hawaiian.

Kingman Reef is sometimes there and sometimes not due to high tides. The US Navy once used it as a base. But due to the sparseness of land, life is extremely difficult. Any coconut palms land and shoot off, die out because of the tides and lack of appropriate soil.

Flag of Kingman Reef flying on the reef

The flag of Kingman Reef is based upon the GIANT CLAMS that inhabit the area. They are an endangered and magnificent species. The colours of the flag are navy blue, indigo, white, purple, and lime green. These colours are based upon the natural colours of Kingman's Reef most famous residents - the GIANT CLAMS. The white disc represents a pearl and the wavy lines represent shells of a GIANT CLAM from a forward looking position.


example of a GIANT CLAM found on Kingman Reef

GIANT CLAMS are amazing and colourful creatures of the sea. Their blue and green tints are a result of the symbiotic relationship between the Animal and Plant Kingdoms. They can weigh over 500 pounds and live for more than a 100 years. They are peaceful and hermaphrodites. Chances are that the ones over 4 feet wide have been around since the 1800s. They live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans - no GIANT CLAMS for the Atlantic.

The stories of man-eating clams are unfounded and only a part of legends, but that shouldn't stop Hollywood.

NAT GEO's video about GIANT CLAMS









Another video about GIANT CLAMS



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PHOTO CREDIT
Island Bank
Joann94024 at en.wikipedia.19 October 2003. Own Work
Deutsch: Das Kingmanriff im Pazifischen Ozean
English: Kingman Reef (Pacific Ocean) - small strip of dry land.

12 comments:

  1. Is is possible to build something on the reef?

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  2. Is this an officially sanctioned flag by the U.S. Government? I don't think so.

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  3. ^Chroll Keegn Saz "FURST!"

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  4. So who flies this flag and when? Neat design but isn't it pointless?

    Think I saw this island in an Attenborough doco once - tiny mostly submerged and uninhabited place.

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    1. True, but something about flags makes these places more real. Flags can be serious business, but this flag attempts to educate the world about these magnificent organisms that are a part of American culture. USA now has the bald eagle and GIANT CLAMS. It's high time we incorporate these semi-mystical sea-monster like beings into American fabric?

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  5. How did the reef end up being called Kingman Reef?
    Was it called Fanning Reef at one time?

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. Guess what? FREE FLAGS!! > Flag.com < GET WHILE YOU CAN!

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  8. Guess what? FREE FLAGS!! > Flag.com < GET WHILE YOU CAN!

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  9. It's cyan, not indigo.

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  10. Appropriate flag though.

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