The Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories refers to the various flags that were used across the various Dominions, Crown colonies, protectorates, territories which made up the British Empire and current overseas territories. Early flags that were used across the Empire (In particular the then Thirteen Colonies which would later become the United States of America) tended to variations of the Red and Blue Ensigns of Great Britain with no colonial badges or coat of arms attached to them. In the first half of the 19th Century, the first colonies started to acquire their own colony badges, but it was not until the UK Parliament passed the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 that the colonies were required to apply their own emblems. The following list contains all former and current flags that were used across the Empire and as well as current British overseas territories until 1999. Historical Flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories Aden Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Australia Note: Australia formally became an independent country from the United Kingdom under the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 which formally adopted the Statute of Westminster 1931 and backdated the adoption to 3 September 1939. Australian States Bahama Islands Bahrain Barbados Basutoland Bermuda British America British Antarctic Territory British Cameroon British Central Africa Protectorate British Ceylon British Columbia Colony British East Africa British Guiana British Hong Kong British Honduras British India British Indian Ocean Territory British Leeward Islands British New Hebrides British Malaya British Straits Settlements British Mauritius British Nigeria (Northern & Southern) British Solomon Islands British Somaliland British Virgin Islands British West Africa British Windward Islands Burma Brunei Canada Note: Canada formally became an independent country from the United Kingdom under the Statute of Westminster 1931. Cayman Islands Cape Colony Cook Islands Cyprus Dominica Falkland Islands & Dependencies Fiji Gambia Colony and Protectorate Gibraltar Grenada Gilbert and Ellice Islands Gilbert Islands Gold Coast Heligoland Ionian Islands Iraq Ireland Jamaica Kedah Kenya Kuwait Labuan Lagos Colony Lower Canada Malacca Maldives Malta Montserrat Mosquito Coast Muscat and Oman Natal Colony New Guinea New South Wales Colony Newfoundland New Zealand Note: Although it had been self-governing since 1852, New Zealand formally became an independent country from the United Kingdom under the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947, which adopted the Statute of Westminster 1931. Niger Coast Protectorate North Borneo Nova Scotia Nyasaland Orange River Colony