New Zealand flag is the national flag of New Zealand, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. The flag’s royal blue field (background) represents the blue sea and clear skies surrounding the islands. Four red stars with white borders appear on the fly (outer) end of the flag. They represent the four main stars of the Southern Cross, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. The British flag, also known as the Union Jack or Union Flag, appears in the canton (upper corner nearest the flagpole) of New Zealand’s flag. It represents New Zealand’s historic ties with the United Kingdom.
New Zealand’s first flag dates back to 1834, before the islands became a British colony. It is known as the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand. Leaders among the native Māori and the British settlers on the North Island selected the design. The flag had a white background divided into quarters by a red cross. The canton was blue. A red cross outlined in white divided the canton into quarters, with a white star in each quarter.
In 1840, New Zealand became a British colony. Colonists in New Zealand then used the Union Jack as their official flag.
In 1865, a British law required ships from the United Kingdom’s colonies to fly the British Blue Ensign with a colonial badge. The Blue Ensign is a blue flag with the Union Jack in the canton. However, New Zealand did not have an official badge. In 1867, New Zealand’s ships began to fly the Blue Ensign with the letters NZ in red bordered by white at the lower fly corner. In 1869, New Zealand’s government replaced the letters with the four stars of the Southern Cross. New Zealand’s official flag, adopted in 1902, is based on this design.
In 2014, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced plans to hold a referendum (public vote) on changing the design of New Zealand’s flag. He suggested switching to a design that would emphasize New Zealand’s unique identity and not prominently feature the Union Jack. New Zealanders submitted thousands of flag designs, from which several potential finalists were chosen. In the 2016 referendum, however, voters elected to keep New Zealand’s existing flag.
