New Zealand Flag Description
The flag of New Zealand is blue with the British Union Jack in the upper left corner (the canton), and four red stars making up the Southern Cross. The Union Jack, which is the flag of Great Britain, reflects New Zealand’s history as a British colony.
The stars on New Zealand’s flag represent the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars, forming the ends of a cross, that shine brightly in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.
The flag of New Zealand has a 1:2 ratio.
Resemblance
The flag of New Zealand is very similar to the flag of Australia. The difference between the Australian flag and the flag of New Zealand is that Australia’s flag features six stars that are white rather than four stars that are red. Five of the stars on Australia’s flag are seven-pointed, and the sixth is a five-pointed star. The stars on New Zealand’s flag are all five-pointed stars.
New Zealand flag referendum result
| Flag | Flag Name | Designer | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Fern (black, white and blue) | Kyle Lockwood’s | 552827 (50.53%) | |
| Red Peak | Aaron Dustin | ||
| Koru | Andrew Fyfe | ||
| Silver Fern (Black & White) | Alofi Kanter | ||
| Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) | Kyle Lockwood | 49.42% |
The verdict is out and Kyle Lockwood’s Silver Fern (black, white and blue) has emerged as the popular choice of New Zealanders in the final results of the flag referendum declared on Tuesday.
People in huge numbers turned out to vote in the hope of seeing their favorite design emerge as the winner. Prime Minister’s John Key’s spokesperson said that 1.5 million people (48.78) had turned up at the first referendum to choose a flag of their choice. The Silver Fern (black, white, and blue) trounced the four other contenders – the Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue), which came second was followed by Red Peak, Silver Fern (Black and White) and Koru.
However, it was not an easy victory. The winner faced severe competition from the Red, White, and Blue design and pipped its competitor by a narrow margin of 1.16 per cent. The Silver Fern, which has crossed the first hurdle, will now be pitted against the current flag of New Zealand in a national vote to be held in March 2016. The Silver fern needs enough votes to oust the current flag and emerge as the new flag of the country.
Note: Voting in March 2016 to take between the above 2 flags.
The new design, approved by the people, is very similar to the current flag but has done away with the British Union Jack in place of the Fern, a national symbol and is worn by the country’s popular Rugby team – All Blacks.
| National symbol(s): | Southern Cross constellation (four, five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern |
| National colors: | black, white, red (ochre) |
| National anthem: | |
| Name: | “God Defend New Zealand” |
| Lyrics/Music: | Thomas BRACKEN [English], Thomas Henry SMITH [Maori]/John Joseph WOODS |
Fact about New Zealand flag |
| Country | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Designed by | NA |
| Adopted | 24 March 1902, In use since 1869 |
| Revision | NA |
| Design and Colors | A Blue Ensign defaced with four stars of the Crux Australis in red, outlined in white. |
| Size Ratio | 1:2 |