New Zealand: Flag and Facts
New Zealand's flag is navy, carries the Union Jack in its upper left corner, and has four red, white-edged stars on the right that form the Southern Cross.
- Capital
- Wellington
- Region
- Australia and New Zealand
- Population
- 5.2 million (2024)
- Languages
- English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language
- Currency
- New Zealand dollar
- Area
- 270,467 km² (104,428 sq mi)
- People
- New Zealander
- Calling code
- +64
- Highest point
- Aoraki/Mount Cook 3,724 m
- Independence
- 26 September 1907 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- Southern Cross constellation (four five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern
- Borders
- No land borders
About New Zealand
Those four stars appear on lists of national symbols in their own right, next to the kiwi bird and the silver fern. The national colors, though, are black, white, and red ochre, none of which lead on the flag.
Polynesians reached the islands between the late 1200s and mid-1300s and named them Aotearoa, after the canoe that legend says carried Kupe, the first arrival. Abel Tasman sighted the coast in 1642 but sailed off after meeting Maori. In 1840 most Maori chiefs put their names to the Treaty of Waitangi with Britain, and land questions from that deal are still being worked out. Britain granted full independence in 1907. Mountains cover much of the country, and Aoraki/Mount Cook is the top at 3,724 meters. It used to be taller until a huge rock and ice avalanche in 1991 knocked about 10 meters off.
Did you know?
- New Zealand Sign Language is one of the country's three official languages, alongside English and Maori.
- Auckland has about 1.7 million people, roughly four times as many as Wellington.
- New Zealand covers about the same area as Colorado.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about New Zealand
What is the capital of New Zealand?
Wellington, with about 422,000 residents. Auckland is the largest city.
What is Waitangi Day?
It is a national holiday on 6 February marking the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between Maori chiefs and Britain.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.