Flag of New Zealand early days of European settlement. Additionally, in Māori mythology the Southern Cross is identified as "Māhutonga", an aperture in "Te Ikaroa" (the Milky Way) through which storm winds escaped. The flag should be rectangular in shape and its length should be two times its width, translating into an aspect ratio of 1:2. It has a royal blue background with a Union Jack in the canton, and four five-pointed red stars with white borders on the fly (outer or right-hand side). The exact colours are specified as Pantone 186C (red), Pantone 280C (blue), and white. According to the Ministry for Culture
Flag of New Zealand and Heritage, the government department responsible for the flag, the royal blue background is "reminiscent of the blue sea and sky surrounding us", and the stars "signify [New Zealand's] place in the South Pacific Ocean". The notice that appeared in the "New Zealand Gazette" on 27 June 1902 gave a technical description of the stars and their positions on the New Zealand Ensign: The Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 governs the usage of the national flag and all other official flags. This Act, like most other laws, can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Section 5(2)