Flag of Cook Islands
A Blue Ensign, with the Union Flag in the canton and a ring of fifteen white stars in the fly.
What the flag means
The fifteen stars are the fifteen islands of the Cook Islands. The Union Flag stands for the historic ties with the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
History
The islands flew the New Zealand flag from 1902 to 1973. A green flag with a ring of fifteen gold stars, picked from 120 entries, was first raised on 24 January 1974. The present Blue Ensign replaced it on 4 August 1979. In December 2023 Prime Minister Mark Brown suggested going back to the green design, and in January 2024 he proposed a referendum on it.
Its official name is the Cook Islands Ensign.
Earlier flags of Cook Islands
- 1902–1973Flag of New Zealand
- 1973–1979Green flag with a ring of fifteen gold stars
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of the Cook Islands
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
