New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific known for its dramatic and diverse landscapes of fjords, mountains, volcanoes, beaches, and geothermal areas — landscapes that served as the filming location for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote, in 1893. The indigenous Māori culture, with its haka, whakairo (carving), and te reo Māori language, has a deep and growing influence on national identity.
Population and area are rounded.
The four red stars with white borders represent the Southern Cross, and the Union Jack the country's history as a British colony. The flag was adopted in 1902. In two referendums held in 2015 and 2016, New Zealanders voted to keep it rather than switch to a silver fern design.
Union Jack + 4 red Southern Cross stars. Australia has 5 stars and a Commonwealth Star.
New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote, in 1893.
New Zealand's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:
Every flag that has flown over New Zealand, from today back through time.
The Southern Cross blue ensign — four red, white-bordered stars — became the national flag on land and sea under the Ensign Act 1901. The design itself dates to 1869; New Zealanders voted to keep it in two referendums in 2015–16.
An 1867 warrant required colonial government vessels to fly the Blue Ensign defaced with the red letters "NZ" — the first distinctly New Zealand ensign, before the Southern Cross replaced the lettering in 1869.
After the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 made New Zealand a British colony, the Union Jack served as its flag for use on land.
The very first flag of New Zealand, chosen by a vote of Māori chiefs at James Busby's residence on 20 March 1834. A St George's Cross with a blue canton bearing four white eight-pointed stars.
Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of New Zealand.
Red-white-red with three blue stars, flown by the Cook Islands kingdom before it became a British protectorate, then part of New Zealand.
A self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, running its own foreign policy. Fifteen stars on a Blue Ensign mark its fifteen islands.
One of the world's largest coral islands and a state in free association with New Zealand. Its yellow flag is unique in keeping the Union Jack with added stars.
Three tiny atolls that remain a non-self-governing dependency of New Zealand. Its flag shows a Tokelauan canoe sailing toward the Southern Cross.
The 1 states, provinces and regions of New Zealand with their own flags.
Otago30 other national flags use the same main colours as New Zealand's.
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