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New Zealand

 

Contents

today's Flags

historical Flags

other Flags

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

Coat of Arms

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

Aircraft Roundel

Map

Numbers and Facts

Possessions/Colonies

History

Origin of the Country's Name



today's Flags


Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Nationalflagge Staatsflagge Gösch national state flag and jack
National and state flag, and jack,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Handelsflagge merchant flag
Merchant flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Marineflagge naval flag
Naval flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Marineamt Navy Board
Flag of the Navy Board,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Luftwaffe Air Force
Flag of the Air Force,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Zivilluftfahrt civil air ensign
Civil air ensign,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (DE)




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Königin queen
1962–2022,
Flag of the Queen,
ratio = 3:4,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Generalgouverneur governor general
since 2008,
Flag of the governor general,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World



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historical Flags

Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
1835–1840,
First national flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne Flag Großbritannien Vereinigtes Königreich United Kingdom UK Great Britain Gösch jack Staatsflagge state
1840–1867,
Flag of United Kingdom,
ratio = 3:5,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Staatsflagge state flag
1867–1869,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Staatsflagge state flag
1869–1899,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Staatsflagge state flag
1899–1902,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Nationalflagge Handelsflagge national merchant flag
1899–1902,
National and merchant flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa Generalgouverneur governor general
1953–2008,
Flag of the governor general,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World



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other Flags

Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
2015, Proposal,
for a new flag of New Zealand,
ratio = 3:5,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
Unofficial flag of New Zealand,
ratio = 3:5,
Source, by: Flags of the World




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
Unofficial flag of New Zealand,
ratio = 3:5,
Source, by: Die Welt der Flaggen




Flagge Fahne flag Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
Unofficial Maori national flag,
called "Aotearoa Flag",
Source, by: mch.govt.nz



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Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The today's national flag of New Zealand – the New Zealand Blue Ensign – was officially introduced on 12th of June in 1902. It is blue with the "Union Jack" in the upper staff quadrant beside it the Southern Cross composed by four white bordered red stars. The stars symbolize the southern sky und the "Union Jack" remembers the allegiance to the British motherland.

New Zealand was Christian missioned since 1814. The missionars and the Maori (natives) agreed in 1835 for a common flag for New Zealand. That flag was named Waitangi-Flag. It was inspired by the flag of the Church Missionary Society, was white with an uninterrupted red cross with a blue upper staff quadrant with an uninterrupted red cross in it. In the blue areas was ever one eight-pointed white star. As New Zealand in the year 1840 became a British colony was introduced the British "Union Jack" as national flag.

United Kingdom introduced a flag system in 1864 in which:

war ships fly the "White Ensign" (naval flag), a white flag often with an uninterrupted red St. George's-Cross and with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag, merchant ships fly a "Red Ensign" (also named "Civil Ensign" → civil flag, the real merchant flag), a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag, and governmental ships fly the "Blue Ensign" (flag for the use by the gouvernment → the actual state flag), a blue flag with the Union Jack in the upper staff quadrant of the flag.

Since 1865 ships of colonial governments were permitted to fly the Blue Ensign with a badge in the flying end of the flag. The respective governments were asked to design appropriate badges. Merchant ships and seafaring persons from colonies were only permitted to use the Red Ensign with a badge, then also named Civil Ensign, if permission has been given to the respective colony by the British admiralty. The first badge for the New Zealand Blue Ensign (only to use on governmental vessels) was introduced in the year 1867 and consisted of the white bordered red letters "NZ".

On 23rd of October in 1869 the Blue Ensign got a new design and equaled in essentialy the today's national flag of New Zealand and showed four white bordered red stars.

The badges of the British colonies have been at that time always an oftenly white disk in the flying end of the flag on which was to see the actual badge. Probably because of that they began do depict the four stars since the year 1899 officially on a white disk. Just as it was New Zealand allowed to use since 1899 a merchant flag – the so named Red Ensign.

With the New Zealand Ensign Act from 1901 (which came into power on 27th of June in 1902) was introduced the New Zealand flag in its today's form. With it were done among other things exact fixings about size and arrangement of the stars. The Red Ensign showed initially the red, white bordered stars on the red bunting of the flag, but it was changed in 1903 in this wise that the stars were white in the red field. It is allowed to use the New Zealand Red Ensign even by land and by the Maori.

The flag of the Queen is a scutcheon flag with the goldenen crowned royal initial stages on a blue disk within a garland of golden roses in the mittle of the flag. It was introduced on 11th of October in 1962.

Since the Statute of Westminster (1931) had the Governor Generals of Commonwealth states blue flags withe the royal crest, underneath the name of the state, mostly on a banner. This design is also in use by the Governor General of New Zealand. Again and again there are discussions in New Zealand about changing the flag, and diverse unofficial flags circulate in the land, because even the Maori use own unofficial flags. Background is the refusal of British symbolism, which is perceived as dated or to British. The most popular unofficial flag of New Zealand, the "Fighting Kiwi", is often in use by the New Zealanders. The mostly known flag of the Maori is the "Aotearoa Flag".

Source: Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Die Welt der Flaggen, Wikipedia (DE)

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Coat of Arms

Wappen coat of arms Neuseeland New Zealand
Coat of arms of New Zealand,
Source: Corel Draw 4

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Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms was awarded on 26th of August in 1911 but changed in 1956 by add of the royal crown, and shows a twice divided shield with the Southern Cross and symbolic references for agriculture, shipping, cattle-breeding and industry (sheaf, three galleys, fleece, mining hammers). As shield supporters act a white woman with flag and a Maori warrior with spear. On a banner below the shield the name of the state.

Source: Die Welt der Flaggen, Flaggen Wappen Hymnen

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Aircraft Roundel

Flugzeugkokarde Kokarde aircraft roundel Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
Aircraft Roundel,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)


Flugzeugkokarde Kokarde aircraft roundel Neuseeland New Zealand Aotearoa
1943–1946,
Aircraft Roundel,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)

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Map

Location:

Source: CIA World Factbook

Map of the country:

Source: CIA World Factbook

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Numbers and Facts

Area: 104.113 square miles

Inhabitants: 5.100.000 (2020), thereof 67% Europeans (thereof 10.700 Germans), 14% Maori, 7% Polynesians, 3% Chinese, 2% Indians

Religions: 13% Roman Catholic, 12% Anglikan, 8% Protestant, 5% other Christian, 2% Hindu, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 42% Non-Religious

Density of Population: 49 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Wellington, 190.959 inh. (2013)

official Language: English

other Languages: Maori

Currency: 1 New Zealand Dollar (NZD, NZ$) = 100 Cents

Time Zone: GMT + 12 h

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Possessions/Colonies

Cook-Islands

Niue

Tokelau

Chatham-Islands

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History

ca. 1350 · the Polynesian Mori settle in New Zealand

1642 · discovery by the Dutch seafarer Abel Janszoon Tasman

1769–1777 · research of the coast by the English seafarer James Cook

1815 · start of the Christian mission

1832 · New Zealand gets subordinated under the administration of the British colony of New South Wales

1835 · the Maori tribes join together

1839 · settlement by European settlers in assignment of the British New Zealand Company

6th of February 1840 · United Kingdom acquires by the Treaty of Waitangi with the native Maori the legal ownership for New Zealand

3rd of May 1841 · New Zealand becomes a British colony

1847 · the Auckland- and Campbell Islands become annexed to New Zealand

1852 · New Zealand gets limited self administration

1856 · New Zealand gets its first government

1860–1872 · Maori Wars, decimation of the native population

1893 · worldwide first introduction of the women's suffrage

1901 · the Cook Islands become annexed to New Zealand

1907 · New Zealand gets the status of a Dominion, full self administration

1920 · New Zealand gets the mandate of the League of Nations for the administration of the German Colony of Samoa (West Samoa)

1926 · New Zealand takes over the administration of the Tokelau Islands over West Samoa

1931 · Westminster Statute, New Zealand becomes a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations

1947 · new constitution

1950 · engagement in the Korea War

1951 · joining to the ANZUS Pact

1954 · joining to the SEATO Pact

1962 · West Samoa gets dismissed in the independence

1965–1973 · engagement in the Vietnam War

1972 · withdrawal out of the SEATO

1986 · suspension of the membership in the ANZUS Pact

1987 · verification of the Treaty of Waitangi in which the Maori can claim properties

1995 · succession treaty for the regulation of the property law, compensation law for the Maori

Source: Atlas zur Geschichte, World Statesmen, Wikipedia (D)

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Origin of the Country's Name

As the Dutch seafarer Abel Janszoon Tasman discovered the country in the year 1642 he named the land "Niuv Zeeland" (New Sea Land) after the Dutch Province of Seeland. As the British colonized the islands they took over this geographical name and partially even the style of writing.

Source: Handbuch der geographischen Namen


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