Official flag of Northern Ireland

The flag was introduced in 1953 but is a banner of arms which had been used by the Northern Ireland government since 1925. The arms of Northern Ireland were based on those of Ulster but the yellow field was changed to white, giving a design identical to the St George's Cross - the historical flag of England. The red hand of the O'Neills appears on a six-pointed star, representing the six counties which comprise Northern Ireland, and the crown emphasises the region's status as part of the United Kingdom.