Chatham Islands

Chatham Islands
Country	New Zealand
Flag of Chatham Islands
Designer	Logan Alderson
Adopted	1989
Wikipedia article

The Chatham Islands (Moriori: Rēkohu, lit. 'Misty Sun'; Māori: Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Oceanabout 800 km (430 nmi) east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approximate 60 km (30 nmi) radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. They include New Zealand's easternmost point, the Forty-Fours. Some of the islands, formerly cleared for farming, are now preserved as nature reserves to conserve some of the unique flora and fauna.

Description

The flag of the Chatham Islands is a blue field with a map of the island in the centre, the Te Whanga Lagoon depicted in white. Behind the map is a depiction of the rising sun, an allusion to its local name Rēkohu, meaning 'rising sun'.

History

The flag was designed in 1989 by Logan Alderson, a former New Zealand police officer.

At the 2005 opening of a new marae on the islands (which included a rare visit by the Prime Minister), the Chathams flag was flown on a flagpole over the marae.