Under Southern Skies

The New Zealand Flag

 

 New Zealand
The New Zealand flag is a dark blue colour around the Union Jack flag in the top left hand corner.  The four red stars with the white borders are the stars that represent the constellation Crux (The Southern Cross). The Union Jack shows our connection with British commonwealth.  http://www.public-domain-image.com/flags-of-the-world-public-domain-images-pictures-flag-of-new-zealand.jpg.html

The Olympic Rings

The Olympic flag has 5 interlocking rings representative of the 5 main continents.  There are actually 7 continents but North, South and Central America came as one to the Olympics and Antarctica has no one participating (competing).

The colours of the 5 rings are blue, black, red (the top three) and green and yellow (the bottom two). These colours were chosen because at least one of those colours is on every participating countries national flag. As the Olympics is about unity the rings are interlocked  to show that they are united and how they come together in the games under the same flag.

The Olympic rings were designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1914 and displayed in 1920 at the Olympic Games. The idea for the interlocking rings was taken from an Ancient Greek Artifact.  The white background of the flag could be interpreted as a sign of peace.

We (all the countries) are all united as one because we are all part of something which brings us together. In the past there have been times of war that have separated countries but we are all connected when we come together to the Olympics.