Finally, your chance to redesign the flag of New Zealand

[gay_Aleks]

Looks good to me.

 

[Domen]

Should be something black-white-red, because these are apparently Maori colors.

=========================

Or maybe not: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Independence_of_New_Zealand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi#Meaning_and_interpretation

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Does anyone know why Canada decided to get a new flag, back in the 60s?

I had assumed the reason was something like: "Why do we have another country's flag on our flag? Let's get our own flag and stuff." - and assumed that a similar reason is what prompted New Zealand to get a new flag too.

That the current flag is too similar to Australia's did not occur to me. I guess it makes sense, I don't think most people would be able to tell you which is which, unless they live there.

First of all, we didn't have one that was officially our own national flag. Second, the centennial was coming up soon, in 1967. Some people thought it disgraceful that our country could be nearly 100 years old, but not have our own flag. I didn't have a strong opinion about it at the time, because in the centennial year I was only 4 years old.

Some history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Canada


One thing that greatly annoys me nowadays is that if I want a Canadian flag that's made in Canada, I have to make it myself. The commercially-available ones are made in China.

 

[Domen]

Maybe it's because it looks entirely too much like Australia's.

Indeed, while the history of colonization of New Zealand was apparently entirely different than in case of Australia.

I was surprised, for instance, that - as it seems - New Zealand was never really conquered from its indigenous inhabitants.

 

[Tahuti]

Indeed, while the history of colonization of New Zealand was apparently entirely different than in case of Australia.

Actually, New Zealand was long a part of New South Wales. Then again, it was before New South Wales went on to form Australia with some other states.

 

[Domen]

But there were ca. 50 Europeans in New Zealand when it was formally part of New South Wales. All of them traders, whalers and missionaries. Later New Zealand was apparently never conquered. The reason why Pakeha outnumber Maoris is that there were only 100,000 Maoris to begin with (in pre-colonial times) and they got flooded by ca. 350,000 or so immigrants after 1840, while their own numbers declined to 50,000 due to diseases, but not any extermination.

And still Maoris are 15% of the population today (including mixed individuals who declare both Maori and Pakeha descent). And there are also many Maori people who emigrated to Australia*. By comparison Australian Aborigines are something like 3% of the population (also including mixed ones).

*Maori Australians: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori_Australian

Native Maoris in New Zealand and abroad currently outnumber Australian Aborigines in Australia and abroad. While before the start of European colonization, population size of Australia was a few or few times larger than that of New Zealand, according to all estimates that I've seen.

The Maori natives declared independence in 1835, and later in 1840 some 540 Maori chieftains signed a treaty with Queen Victoria.

I do not recall Australian Aborigines declaring independence or signing treaties with European monarchs - do you?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

We don't need another genealogy and migration thread, thanks.

 

[classical_hero]

Looks good to me.

If i were them I would refuse to join considering they are growing as a nation and we aren't.

 

[Borachio]

How about a plain black flag?

I can't see anything to complain about that design.

Or if that's too boring, how about a plain black flag with a very small skull and crossbones motif in the bottom right hand corner?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

A plain black flag is the flag of Al Qaeda.

 

[Borachio]

Is it? I thought it had writing all over it. Or is that ISIS?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Standard#Jihadist_black_flag

I'd be happy if all flags were black. I'm still not sure I see any point to them.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I thought ISIS had the one with writing. But not being proper nation-states, both ISIS and Al Qaeda use lots of flags - there's no standardization. And I'm pretty sure at least at some point some people claiming to be Al Qaeda affiliated used a plain black flag.

 

[Borachio]

Yes, I think you're mostly right.

I got confused with rugby and the All-Blacks.

I recommend everyone but jihadists using a plain white flag, then. (If they really must use flags at all.)

 

[classical_hero]

The white flag mean you surrender.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Because why not

 

[gay_Aleks]

Flags like this are "why not".

 

[Lohrenswald]

I found this online:

Spoiler :

 

[gay_Aleks]

Dirty American stripes! Begone, this is the realm of the Queen!

 

[cybrxkhan]

On a purely black flag, that was the banner of the Abbasid Caliphate, so.......

 

[madviking]

PM John Key is a conservative and monarchist

death to monarchists

This is the most common and really obvious design: