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
Lockwood silver fern flag the vote, whilst the existing flag won with 56.6% of the vote. The design of the flag combines the silver fern flag (toward the hoist) with the stars of the current national flag. The silver fern frond is a popular symbol of the people of New Zealand, while the stellar constellation known as the southern cross represents the antipodean location of the country in the Southern Hemisphere. The multiple pinnates on the silver fern leaf represent New Zealand's multicultural society, a single fern spreading upwards representing one people growing into the future. Black, white and red are the national colours