Editing Flag of Tuvalu (section)

==Changes and controversies==
[[File:Flag of Tuvalu (1996–1997).svg|thumb|right|200px|In 1996, Prime Minister [[Kamuta Latasi]] controversially removed the [[Union Jack]] from the [[Flag of Tuvalu]], replacing it with the flag pictured above. The flag was returned to the original in April 1997.]]
The name "Tuvalu" means "eight together", referring to the eight islands which were originally inhabited. In October 1995 one of the stars on the flag was removed to conform with the country's name. By January 1996 the flag was replaced with a new one which was not based on the British flag, but the eight stars were retained. This flag, however, was not liked by the inhabitants, who felt that it was a move towards replacing the popular [[Monarchy of Tuvalu|Tuvaluan monarchy]] with a republic. In one incident, the people of [[Niutao]], one of Tuvalu's nine atolls, chopped down the flagpole as soon as the new flag was raised.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/tv.html#et |title=Tuvalu |website=[[Flags of the World (website)|Flags of the World]] |access-date=2022-10-08 |archive-date=2022-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008041918/https://www.fotw.info/flags/tv.html#et |url-status=live}}</ref> The old flag was reinstated in 1997, with all nine stars being restored. Population pressures have since resulted in the ninth island being settled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flagspot.net/flags/tv.html#tuvalu951 |title=Tuvalu |website=[[Flagspot]] |access-date=9 January 2018 |archive-date=17 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217210958/http://flagspot.net/flags/tv.html#tuvalu951|url-status=live}}</ref>