Former land bridge 1,600 km/1,000 mi wide between Asia and North America; it existed during the ice ages that occurred before 35,000 BC and during the period 24,0009000 BC. As the climate warmed and the ice sheets melted, Beringia flooded. It is now covered by the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea.
The crescent is a symbol of Islam and the green also denotes Islam. The four stars and the four stripes of colour represent the four islands in the group (including Mayotte, which is a French dependency). Effective date: 2002.