"stars. The description was: ""A red St. George's Cross on a white ground. In the first quarter, a red St. George's Cross on a blue ground, pierced with four white stars."" This version of the flag served as the ""de facto"" national flag of New Zealand from 1835 until the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840. The version of the flag with black fimbriation and eight-pointed stars is widely used today as a flag by Māori groups throughout New Zealand, who also refer to it as the He Whakaputanga flag. The flag features on the medals presented"
"the vote, whilst the existing flag won with 56.6% of the vote. The design of the flag combines the silver fern flag (toward the hoist) with the stars of the current national flag. The silver fern frond is a popular symbol of the people of New Zealand, while the stellar constellation known as the southern cross represents the antipodean location of the country in the Southern Hemisphere. The multiple pinnates on the silver fern leaf represent New Zealand's multicultural society, a single fern spreading upwards representing one people growing into the future. Black, white and red are the national colours"
"March. In this referendum, the country voted to keep the existing flag by 57% to 43%. The flag of New Zealand uses two prominent symbols: In its original usage as the flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Union Jack combined three heraldic crosses which represent the countries of the United Kingdom (as constituted in 1801): The Union Jack reflects New Zealand's origins as a British colony. The Southern Cross constellation is one of the striking features of the Southern Hemisphere sky, and has been used to represent New Zealand, among other Southern Hemisphere colonies, since the"
"and Heritage, the government department responsible for the flag, the royal blue background is ""reminiscent of the blue sea and sky surrounding us"", and the stars ""signify [New Zealand's] place in the South Pacific Ocean"". The notice that appeared in the ""New Zealand Gazette"" on 27 June 1902 gave a technical description of the stars and their positions on the New Zealand Ensign: The Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 governs the usage of the national flag and all other official flags. This Act, like most other laws, can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Section 5(2)"
"in 1901, is also represented by the four small stars that depict the Southern Cross. Finally the blue disc containing a larger star represents the deep blue sea surrounding the self-governing island of Niue. Flag of Niue The flag of Niue was adopted on 15 October 1975. It consists of the Union Jack in the upper left corner with a star in the middle of the Union Jack and four stars forming a diamond around it. It is very unusual for a flag based on a British ensign design, in having not only a yellow background, but also a defaced"
"two fern fronds with their stems crossed at the base. The whole designed is surrounded by the inscription ""New Zealand"" above and ""Armed Forces Award"" below. The emblems on the reverse are representative of the three services: the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The medal is suspended by a ribbon of dark blue, crimson, and light blue. These colours represent the three services, while the black central stripe represents New Zealand. Subsequent awards of the medal are denoted by a clasp worn on the suspension"
"You love them because of who they are, unconditionally. Flags are a bit like that."" In 2009, ""The New Zealand Herald"" surveyed various political party leaders and the twenty two members of the Order of New Zealand, with the results showing an even split. The silver fern flag is a popular unofficial flag of New Zealand. The silver fern itself is an official national symbol, and its current and historic usage including: The proposal of replacing the national flag of New Zealand with the silver fern flag has been supported by Cultural Affairs Minister Marie Hasler, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley"
"to 13 so as to honor the original colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states. The most recent change, from 49 stars to 50, occurred in 1960 when the present design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag. Prior to the adoption of the 48-star flag in 1912, there was no official arrangement of the stars in the canton, although the U.S."
"design stirred up much debate in the community and it too was scrapped. Ultimately, the last design was created by a New Zealander teaching at the King George VI School, in the eastern part of the capital Honiara. This was in spite of the fact that preference was supposed to be given to local submissions by Solomon Islanders. The stars stood for the country's provinces and not the Southern Cross, unlike the flags of nearby Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. It was ratified as the new flag of the islands on 18 November 1977, eight months before"
"Flag of Zimbabwe The national flag of Zimbabwe consists of seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black with a white triangle containing a red 5-pointed star with a Zimbabwe Bird. The present design was adopted on 18 April 1980, when Zimbabwe won its independence from the United Kingdom. The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statuette of a bird found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The bird symbolises the history of Zimbabwe; the red star beneath it officially stands for the nation's aspirations but is commonly thought to symbolise socialism, and the revolutionary struggle"
"flag. The flag consists of a red vertical band along the hoist side, with a white five-pointed star in the center, and thirteen horizontal stripes, alternating blue and white, with seven blue stripes and six white ones. After territorial elections in February 1961 the New Guinea Council a representative body consisting of 28 members were sworn into office by Governor Dr. P.J.Platteel on 1 April 1961 and the Council's inaugurations on 5 April 1961 were attended by Australia, Britain, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the United States. The Council appointed a National"
"flag is a ""reminder that the nation was born of pain"". It is a breach of Zimbabwean law to sell products bearing the colours of the national flag of the country. Flag of Zimbabwe The national flag of Zimbabwe consists of seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black with a white triangle containing a red 5-pointed star with a Zimbabwe Bird. The present design was adopted on 18 April 1980, when Zimbabwe won its independence from the United Kingdom. The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statuette of a bird found at the ruins of"
"territories"") have no official flag of their own and instead use the Australian national flag. Three external territories do have their own official flags–Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. New Zealand has sixteen first-level administrative subdivisions. Eleven of them are governed by regional authorities; the other five are governed by unitary authorities (which combine the roles of regional and territorial governance). The Chatham Islands lie outside any of the sixteen regions, but collectively possess some of the governing authority of a region. Most of these seventeen authorities have not adopted official flags. The Realm of New Zealand includes"
"New Zealand meaning ""Land of the Long White Cloud"". Hundertwasser also saw the design as representing humanity in harmony with nature. It is claimed by some New Zealanders that the current flag of New Zealand is a reminder of British colonialism and does not truly represent their culture; however, those who support the current flag say that it represents the history of the country as a part of the British Empire and location in the southern hemisphere. The flag can be seen on the counter of the convenience store in the 1997 film ""subUrbia"". A design based on Hundertwasser's flag"
"current flag, represents the uniqueness of New Zealand's land, light, and position. The white chevron refers to the collision of the two tectonic plates which form the Southern Alps, while the coloured triangles symbolize the red earth, black night, and blue dawn, a reference to the Rangi and Papa creation story in native Māori mythology. In this way, the flag also notes New Zealand's prominence as one of the first countries to ""hold the light of new day"". It is arguably unique amongst proposed flag alternatives in that it is the only design to visually represent a fusion of both"
"known as the Union Jack, displaying 2 five-pointed yellow stars on the vertical line and on the horizontal line thereof separated by a blue disc containing a larger five-pointed yellow star."" The symbolism represented by the flag is described in the Act. The Union Jack symbolises the protection granted by the United Kingdom in 1900 after petitioning by the Kings and Chiefs of Niue. The yellow field symbolizes ""the bright sunshine of Niue and the warm feelings of the Niuean people towards New Zealand and her people."" The association with New Zealand, which took over responsibility and administration of Niue"
"Coat of arms of New Zealand The coat of arms of New Zealand is the heraldic symbol representing the South Pacific island country of New Zealand. Its design reflects New Zealand's history as a bicultural nation, with a European female figure on one side and a Māori rangatira (chief) on the other. The symbols on the central shield represent New Zealand's trade, agriculture and industry, and a Crown represents New Zealand's status as a constitutional monarchy. The initial coat of arms was granted by warrant of King George V on 26 August 1911, and the current version was granted by"
"13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th; the design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 48-star flag was in effect for 47 years until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959. The 50-star flag was ordered by the then president Eisenhower on August 21, 1959, and was adopted in July"
"with the necessary supermajority), and another one in October 2007 fell 16 votes short. An alternative and unofficial flag has been reported. The three stars in this flag represent the three atolls which make up the islands of Tokelau. In June 2007 the regional parliament (""General Fono"") decided over the future flag, anthem and national symbol of Tokelau. The proposed flag depicted a stylized Polynesian canoe and four stars. The stars represent the three main islands and also Swains Island, administered by the United States (American Samoa) but claimed by Tokelau. As the required supermajority was not reached in the"
"Crown. The great majority of the princely states of British India were landlocked. Some of the few which had a coastline used versions of the red ensign on their merchant vessels. The New Zealand Red Ensign with the Union Flag in the first quarter, and the Southern Cross, represented by four five-pointed white stars featured in the fly became the official flag in New Zealand for merchant vessels in 1901. Previously a plain red ensign was used. The red ensign may continue to be flown on land in Māori areas or during Māori events under the Flags, Emblems, and Names"
"for Culture and Heritage. Coat of arms of New Zealand The coat of arms of New Zealand is the heraldic symbol representing the South Pacific island country of New Zealand. Its design reflects New Zealand's history as a bicultural nation, with a European female figure on one side and a Māori rangatira (chief) on the other. The symbols on the central shield represent New Zealand's trade, agriculture and industry, and a Crown represents New Zealand's status as a constitutional monarchy. The initial coat of arms was granted by warrant of King George V on 26 August 1911, and the current"
"the flag of New Zealand was flown in a naval battle and the first time officially in any battle, was from HMS ""Achilles"" during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. With the Union Jack in its upper left-hand quarter, the flag still proclaims New Zealand's origins as a British colony. Some New Zealanders believe there should be a new flag which better reflects the country's independence, while others argue that the design represents New Zealand's strong past and present ties to the United Kingdom and its history as a part of the British Empire. Debate about changing the"
"New Zealand flag debate New Zealand has a history of debate about whether the national flag should be changed. For several decades, alternative designs have been proposed, with varying degrees of support. There is no consensus among proponents of changing the flag as to which design should replace the flag. Unlike in Australia, the flag debate in New Zealand is occurring independently of debate about becoming a republic. The New Zealand Parliament held a two-stage binding referendum on a flag change in 2015 and 2016. Voters chose to retain the current flag, by a vote of 56.6% to 43.1%. Proponents"
"New Zealand Civil Air Ensign The New Zealand Civil Air Ensign is the flag that represents civil aviation in New Zealand. The ensign consists of a dark blue Latin cross edged with white on a light blue field. A Union Jack is placed in the first quarter and the Southern Cross, as seen from New Zealand, are shown in red in the lower half of the fly. The ensign is based on the British Civil Air Ensign and the national flag of New Zealand. The original design for the ensign was submitted to King George VI by the Governor-General of"
"2015–16 New Zealand flag referendums Two New Zealand flag referendums were held by the New Zealand government in November/December 2015 and March 2016 and resulted in the retention of the current flag of New Zealand. The first referendum to determine the preferred alternative flag took place between 20 November and 11 December 2015 and asked, ""If the New Zealand flag changes, which flag would you prefer?"" Results show the black, white, and blue Silver fern flag by Kyle Lockwood advancing to the second referendum. The second referendum took place between 3 and 24 March 2016 and asked voters to choose"
"Commonwealth Star The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories and any other future states of Australia. The original star had only six points; however, the proclamation in 1905 of the Territory of Papua led to the addition of the seventh point in 1909 to represent it and future territories. The"
"flag, adopted in 1978, is in the colors of the UN flag. The light blue also represents the Pacific Ocean. In an echo of U.S. heraldic practice, the stars represent the entities that make up the state, in this case, the four federated states, arranged like the points of the compass, although the states locations are actually distributed from west to east Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia The flag of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) was adopted on 30 November 1978. The blue field represents the Pacific Ocean, while the four stars represent the states in the"
"on 24 March 2016, the existing 1902 flag was chosen to remain the New Zealand flag. 56.7% were in favour of retaining the flag, with a voter turnout of 67.3%. 43.3% were in favour of changing the flag to the Lockwood design. A red version of the flag, officially called the Red Ensign and nicknamed the ""red duster"", was adopted in 1903 to be flown on non-government ships. It was flown on New Zealand merchant ships during both world wars. The Red Ensign has sometimes been flown incorrectly on land in the belief that it is the national flag. The"
"of New Zealand traditionally associated with the Māori people, while blue is dominant in the current national flag, and symbolises the South Pacific Ocean. The original 2000 sketch design used black in the upper left corner, and the first prototype design used red in the upper left corner, and a darker shade of blue for the main part of the flag. The blue represented the ocean, the red represented Māori and also sacrifices during wartime, and the white of the fern is a reference to the ""Land of the Long White Cloud"" (translated from the Māori ""Aotearoa""). This design was"
"what he saw to be breaches of its obligations to the Treaty of Waitangi. He had arrived in New Zealand when colonial troops were engaged in war with Te Kooti, who went into battle under his own distinctive flag. It had three symbols that some claim were meant to signify stars. Bracken's national anthem asks God to ""guard Pacific’s triple star"", and some historians have reasoned that refers to Te Kooti's flag and is his oblique support for Māori. It has also been suggested that ""Pacific’s triple star"" simply means the three main islands of New Zealand – Northern, Middle"
"between the selected alternative (the Silver Fern Flag) and the existing New Zealand flag. The final decision was to keep the current flag. Reception of the process was critical, with no great enthusiasm shown among the public. New Zealand has a history of debate about whether the national flag should be changed. For several decades, alternative designs have been proposed, with varying degrees of support. There is no consensus among proponents of changing the flag as to which design should replace the flag. In January 2014, Prime Minister John Key floated the idea of a referendum on a new flag"
"the flag and heraldic symbolism of Australia. In the Australian context, the seven points (also known as the Commonwealth Star, the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories. The seven-pointed stars stand in contrast to the vexillologically more conventional five-pointed stars. The Seal of the Cherokee Nation has an acute gold seven-pointed star in its seal. The"
"one of 258 entries. It was first hoisted one minute after midnight on 19 September 1983, the day Saint Kitts and Nevis became an independent country. The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The green alludes to the country's fertile land, while the red evokes the fight for freedom against slavery and colonialism. The yellow stripes represent the sunshine the islands enjoy all year round, and the black epitomises the people's African origins. The two stars on the black band symbolise Saint Christopher and Nevis—the two islands that make up the federation—as well as"