The flag is made up of three crosses:
- The white cross of St George represents England.
- The red cross of St Patrick represents Northern Ireland.
- The white cross of St Andrew represents Scotland.
The Union Flag was first adopted in 1606, when King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. The current design of the flag was adopted in 1801, when the Kingdom of Ireland was united with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) seceded from the United Kingdom, but the Union Jack continued to be used as the flag of the United Kingdom.