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Hawaii - Local Flags (U.S.)

Last modified: 2023-10-21 by rick wyatt
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Local Government in Hawaii

The State of Hawaii, unlike the other states in USA, has single-tier local government system. Counties are the only form of local government in this state. There are 5 counties: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kalawao, Kauai, and Maui. County of Hawaii and County of Kauai haven't adopted county flags, as I was informed by the counties officials. Kalawao County has no county government and is governed directly by the Hawaii Health Department, therefore there is no flag for that county. City and County of Honolulu and County of Maui have their own flags.
Valentin Poposki, 21 November 2011

The colors of the islands

Island name
(in Hawaiian)		 source
State website [pcL03] &
[kay04a]
color name shade rationale
English Hawaiian (¹) (²) color (³)
Hawaiʻi red ulaula   R lehua blossom, of ohia tree  
Maui pink akala   P- lokelani flower red
Kahoʻolawe gray ahina   G hinahina plant pink
Lānaʻi orange alani   O- kaunaoa plant yellow
Molokaʻi green omaʻomaʻo   V kukui tree green
Oʻahu (golden) yellow mele mele   Y+ ilima blossom  
Kauaʻi purple makuʻe   P mokihana flower  
Niʻihau white keʻokeʻo   W pupu shell  
Nihoa blue uli uli   B- sky and water  


Notes:

  1. as in this image by Peter Orenski, 16 January 2005
  2. FotW color standard, with FIAV color codes
  3. as shown in the Maui County flag - According to the proponents of the Hawai'i Ko Aloha flag, the color for Lanae is orange, not yellow, the color for Maui is pink, not red, and in turn the color for Kahoolawe is grey, not pink. While the former two differences can be acceptable variants, the later cannot. (Green for Molokai matches both sources.)
At starbulletin.com/2007/04/29/features/memminger.html local humorist Charles Memminger digresses about Hawaiian island colors and in passing confirms all accounts given according to Hawaiian law (HRS §5-16.5). He informs also that "Oahu apparently had enough political clout to be able to modify its color. Golden yellow sounds better than just yellow".
António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 March 2008

A state website also lists these colors as official colors: www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0005/HRS_0005-0016_0005.htm:

Section §5-16.5, entitled "Official island colors", following §5-16 ("State flower and individual island flowers"), of the Chapter 5 ("Emblems and Symbols") of Division 1 ("Government") Title 1 ("General Provisions") of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (I could not ascertain the approval date, nor find any previous legislation):

 [§5-16.5] Official island colors.
The color red is established and designated as the official color of the island of Hawai'i.
The color pink is established and designated as the official color of the island of Maui.
The color golden yellow is established and designated as the official color of the island of O'ahu.
The color purple is established and designated as the official color of the island of Kaua'i.
The color green is established and designated as the official color of the island of Moloka'i.
The color orange is established and designated as the official color of the island of Lāna'i.
The color white is established and designated as the official color of the island of Ni'ihau.
The color gray is established and designated as the official color of the island of Kaho'olawe.
[L 2000, c 165, §2]

António Martins-Tuválkin, 4 November 2010