New Zealand

Information about the New Zealander Flag: Colors and Meaning of the Flag of New Zealand

:: Meaning of the New Zealander Flag ::

New Zealand flew the British flag or the Union Jack until 1865. In 1867 a flag similar to the current design was introduced to the country, with the letters N and Z added to the flag. There were no stars on the flag in that design. In 1869 the four stars replaced the letters in the flag. The current national flag was adopted by New Zealand on June 12, 1902 while September 26, 1907 marked the day New Zealand was granted independence by Britain.

At first glance, the flag of New Zealand resembles the Australian flag, but the New Zealand flag is still distinct from the flag of its nearest neighbor. The field of the New Zealand flag is dark or navy blue in color. On the upper section of the canton, near the hoisting side, a Union Jack, United Kingdom’s flag is placed. On its outer half or its flying side, four five-pointed stars colored red with white outline are positioned to form the shape of the Southern Cross or the constellation of Crux, which is visible any time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. The proportion of the national flag of New Zealand is 1:2.

Britain was a major influence on what New Zealand is today and the inclusion of the Union Jack in their national flag symbolizes their heritage from the British Commonwealth.

The deep blue color of the background of the flag represents that color of the Pacific Ocean as well as the blue sky over New Zealand. The four stars of the Southern Cross marks the position of New Zealand in relation to the rest of the world, with the stars representing Alpha or Acrux, the brightest star in the constellation. It is also called the Magellan’s Star, honoring the Portuguese navigator. Beta stands for the star called Mimosa. Gamma is for the Gacrux star and Delta for the fourth brightest star, given the name of Pale. These are the four outside stars of the constellation of the Southern Cross (Crux).

:: References ::
http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/newzealand-flag.html
http://www.worldflags101.com/n/new-zealand-flag.aspx