Why Do Some Countries Still Have the Union Jack in Their Flag?

If you look closely at the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tuvalu, you'll spot the same small detail tucked into the top-left corner of each one: the Union Jack. These four countries are the only fully independent, sovereign nations in the world (alongside the United Kingdom itself) that still carry it as part of their national flag today.

The design comes from a specific piece of naval history. Since the 17th century, British ships flew "ensigns," flags with a solid colored field, red, white, or blue, and the Union Jack placed in the canton (the upper corner nearest the flagpole). As the British Empire expanded, colonies and territories were given their own version of the Blue Ensign, with a local badge or emblem added to the outer half of the flag to identify them. Over time, many of these ensigns simply became the territory's flag by default.

The flag of Tuvalu, from 4kFlags country pack

Here's the detail that surprises people: for the four independent countries that still use it today, keeping the Union Jack wasn't something forced on them at independence. It was a choice they made and, in some cases, have reaffirmed since. New Zealand is the clearest example. In 2015 and 2016, the country held a two-stage referendum specifically asking whether to replace its flag with a new silver fern design that dropped the Union Jack entirely. New Zealanders voted to keep their current flag, Union Jack included, by a clear margin.

Beyond these four independent nations, the Union Jack also still appears on the flags of a number of British Overseas Territories, places that remain under UK sovereignty rather than fully independent countries. Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Montserrat, and the British Indian Ocean Territory are among them, each flying a Blue Ensign defaced with their own local badge or coat of arms.

Now, to the question you might have about local or cultural flags existing alongside these: this is different from how it works in some other overseas territories (like French one for example). As far as we could confirm (and of course, the comments are here if we're wrong), most British Overseas Territories only have one official flag, the Union Jack ensign, without a separate, widely used local or cultural flag competing alongside it the way you'll see in French DOM-TOM regions.

That said, there's a related example worth mentioning. In Australia and New Zealand, distinct Indigenous flags are flown widely and hold official or semi-official recognition, even though they aren't the national flag. The Australian Aboriginal Flag, designed in 1971, is one of the most visible examples, flown at public buildings, sports events, and Indigenous cultural occasions across the country. In New Zealand, the Tino Rangatiratanga flag serves a similar role for Māori identity, especially visible around Waitangi Day. These aren't replacements for the national flag, but they show that the push for separate, locally meaningful representation is very much alive!

The flag of New Zealand, with the union jack on the top left

Would you all be interested in a local flag package? I've been thinking about it for a while, and if there's demand I'd happily do it. Representation matters!

Look at our current (and ever expending) flag collection here : 4kflags.com