FLAG MOTIF · 07
The Union Jack on Five Flags
Can you find the same shape on five flags?
Look closely at the upper left.
LOOK · COMPARE · REVEAL
Start with the British flag. Where else can you find its shape?
Looked closely? Reveal the answer
STEP 1 · FIND THE SHARED SHAPE
The Union Flag appears in all four upper-left corners
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tuvalu each have the United Kingdom's Union Flag in the upper left. UK government guidance uses the name Union Flag; Union Jack is also a widely used name. The current British design dates from 1801.
STEP 2 · LOOK BEYOND THE CORNER
What changes outside the upper left?
Australia
A dark blue field, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross, with the Union Jack in the upper left.
New Zealand
A royal blue field with four red stars outlined in white, forming the Southern Cross, and the Union Jack in the upper left.
Fiji
A light blue field with the shield from the coat of arms on the right and the Union Jack in the upper left.
Tuvalu
An azure blue field with nine yellow stars arranged diagonally on the right and the Union Flag in the upper left.
STEP 3 · CHANGE WHERE YOU LOOK
The same corner, but different stars
Australia has a separate Commonwealth Star below the Union Jack, plus the Southern Cross on the right. New Zealand has four red Southern Cross stars with white borders. The same flags reveal a different comparison when you look at the stars.
STEP 4 · FOLLOW THE HISTORY
Why does the same flag appear here?
Australia
Australia's government explains that the Union Jack acknowledges the history of British settlement in Australia.
New Zealand
New Zealand's Ministry for Culture and Heritage explains its presence through historical ties with the United Kingdom.
Fiji
Fiji's Ministry of Foreign Affairs records that this flag first flew when independence was declared in 1970. The design includes both the Union Jack and the shield from Fiji's coat of arms.
Tuvalu
Tuvalu's own National Flag Act specifies the Union Flag alongside an azure blue field and nine yellow stars. This legal description defines the design; it does not explain why the corner was retained.
A shared shape is a clue to explore history. It does not, by itself, tell us the countries' current political relationships.
STEP 5 · OBSERVE AGAIN
The same corner, four different flags
Look beyond the upper left: compare the background colour, stars or shield, then the stars' number, colour and positions. These details help you tell the flags apart.
PUBLIC SOURCES
Check the designs and history in public sources
Where could this shared corner lead you next?
How did the same flag become part of flags in places so far apart? Keep exploring each country, or look more closely at the stars.