Flag of New Zealand

Facts about the Flag of New Zealand

1. New Zealand held a two-stage referendum in 2015 and 2016; voters chose a silver fern design as the alternative, then chose to keep the existing flag by 57 per cent to 43.
2. The four stars of the Southern Cross are red with white borders and there are four of them; Australia's are white and there are five, which is the quickest way to tell the flags apart.
3. The flag was adopted in 1902, more than a decade after Australia's, and both derive from the British Blue Ensign.
4. The flag of New Zealand was officially adopted on March 24, 1902.
5. The design is older than its adoption. It was already in use in 1869, 33 years before it was formally made the flag of New Zealand.
6. The flag in its present form is 124 years old as of 2026.
7. Design type: Blue Ensign with four red stars of the Southern Cross.
8. The flag is known as The New Zealand Ensign, a name used far more often than the formal "flag of New Zealand".
9. The official proportions are 1:2. It shares that ratio with 54 national flags.
10. The flag uses 3 colours: blue, white and red.
11. The blue on the flag stands for the sea and the sky.
12. The white on the flag stands for the star borders and the Union Jack.
13. The red on the flag stands for the stars and the Union Jack.
14. Southern Cross: Four five-pointed red stars marking the southern sky.
15. Difference from Australia: New Zealand’s stars are red with white borders and number four, while Australia’s are white and number six.
16. The design belongs to the "British-style ensign" family, shared with 22 other flags in this reference.
17. Flags most often confused with it: Anguilla, Ascension Island and Australia.
18. New Zealand became independent on 26 September 1907 from the United Kingdom.