Flag of New ZealandAotearoa

What the flag looks like

The New Zealand flag consists of a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist canton and four red five-pointed stars outlined in white on the fly half, representing the Southern Cross constellation. The proportion is 1:2. It was adopted on 24 March 1902, when the New Zealand parliament formally approved the design, though the flag had been in use since 1869.

Colors and meaning

The blue field represents the sky and the ocean surrounding New Zealand, the Union Jack represents the country's historical ties to Britain and the Commonwealth, and the four red stars of the Southern Cross represent New Zealand's location in the Southern Hemisphere and its identity as a Pacific nation.

Blue field

Represents the sky over New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean that surrounds the country's islands. Blue is also the traditional color of British colonial flags, used on the Blue Ensign that served as the basis for the New Zealand design.

Union Jack

Represents New Zealand's historical ties to Britain and its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. New Zealand was a British colony from 1840 to 1907 and a Dominion from 1907 to 1947, and the Union Jack reflects the country's constitutional heritage as a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as head of state.

Southern Cross

The four red stars with white borders represent the Southern Cross constellation — Crux — which is visible only from the Southern Hemisphere. The stars are Alpha Crucis, Beta Crucis, Gamma Crucis and Delta Crucis (the fifth star, Epsilon Crucis, is not shown because it was not visible to early navigators). The Southern Cross has been a symbol of New Zealand since the 19th century and represents the country's location in the South Pacific.

Star design

The four stars are red with white borders, distinguishing them from the white stars of the Australian flag and other Southern Cross flags. This design was chosen after the original 1869 flag featured stars without borders, making them hard to see against the blue field.

History and adoption

New Zealand was a British colony from 1840 until 1907, when it became a Dominion, and a fully independent Commonwealth realm after 1947. The New Zealand flag was first used in 1869 as a colonial flag and was given royal approval by Queen Victoria, but it was not formally adopted by the New Zealand parliament until 24 March 1902. The design was based on the British Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross constellation added on the fly, distinguishing it from other British colonial flags. In 2015–2016, New Zealand held a referendum on changing the flag to remove the Union Jack and adopt a new design featuring a silver fern. Voters chose to retain the existing flag in a second referendum in March 2016, with 56.6 percent voting to keep the current design. The flag has remained unchanged since.

Key facts

Adopted

24 March 1902

Proportion

1:2

Designer

Based on the colonial Blue Ensign, with stars added

Capital

Wellington

Country code

NZ

Similar flags

Australia, Fiji, Tuvalu

Historical and related flags

New Zealand has used several flags across its colonial, dominion and modern periods.

• United Tribes flag (1834–1840): A white field with a red cross of St George and four blue stars in the canton, used by the United Tribes of New Zealand before British annexation.
• British New Zealand (1840–1867): British Union Jack used as the official flag.
• Colonial flag (1867–1902): Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross stars, used unofficially.
• Current flag (1902–present): Blue field with Union Jack and four red stars.
• Māori flag: The Tino Rangatiratanga flag, adopted as an official national symbol in 2009.
• Royal standard: Uses the New Zealand coat of arms on a blue field.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of New Zealand look like?

The flag of New Zealand is a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist canton and four red five-pointed stars with white borders representing the Southern Cross constellation on the fly half. The proportion is 1:2.

When was the flag of New Zealand adopted?

The current flag of New Zealand was officially adopted on 24 March 1902.

What do the colors mean?

The blue field represents the sky and the ocean surrounding New Zealand, the Union Jack represents the country's historical ties to Britain and the Commonwealth, and the four red stars of the Southern Cross represent New Zealand's location in the Southern Hemisphere and its identity as a Pacific nation.

Which flags look similar to the New Zealand flag?

Australia uses a similar blue field with the Union Jack and white stars of the Southern Cross. Fiji uses a light blue field with the Union Jack and a shield. Tuvalu uses a light blue field with the Union Jack and nine stars. New Zealand's four red stars with white borders distinguish its flag from Australia's, which uses white stars without borders.