<Tr> <Th> Adopted </Th> <Td> December 29, 1845; 172 years ago (1845 - 12 - 29) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Design </Th> <Td> 8 alternating horizontal stripes of white, red, and blue, with a Union flag in the canton . </Td> </Tr> <P> The flag of the state of Hawaii (Hawaiian: Ka Hae Hawai ʻi) is the official flag for the U.S. state of Hawaii . The same flag had also previously been used by the kingdom, protectorate, republic, and territory of Hawaii . It is the only U.S. state flag to feature the flag of a foreign country, in this case the Union Jack of the United Kingdom, a remnant of the British Empire's influence on Hawaiian history . </P> <P> The canton of the flag of Hawaii contains the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, prominent over the top quarter closest to the flag mast . The field of the flag is composed of eight horizontal stripes, symbolizing the eight major islands (Hawai ʻi, Maui, Kaho ʻolawe, Lāna ʻi, Moloka ʻi, Oʻahu, Kaua ʻi, and Ni ʻihau). Other versions of the flag have only seven stripes, probably representing the islands with the exception of Kaho ʻolawe or Ni ʻihau . The color of the stripes, from the top down, follows the sequence: white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red . The colors were standardized in 1843, although other combinations have been seen and are occasionally still used . </P>

Why does the flag of hawaii have the union jack