National colours of New Zealand National colours of New Zealand National colours of New Zealand orders include black, white or silver, and red ochre. The national flag of New Zealand is predominantly dark blue and represents the sea and sky. In the top left corner is the union flag with the colours red and white. The Union flag represents the settlement of New Zealand by mainly British people after New Zealand became a British colony in 1840. The four stars on the flag are red with white outlines. The flag is flown from government buildings and schools and on days of national importance such as
Flag of Europe yellow colours, and the stars, although of a different number and colour, are a direct reference to those of the European flag. Likewise, Kosovo uses blue, yellow and stars in its flag, which has been mocked as "a none too subtle nod to the flag of the European Union, which is about to become Kosovo's new best friend as it takes over protector status from the United Nations". The flag of the Brussels-Capital Region (introduced in 2016) consists of a yellow iris with a white outline upon a blue background. Its colours are based on the colours of the Flag