The Canadian flag is red and white. There is an 11-pointed red maple leaf in the center (on a white background). Since 1965, this has been Canada's national flag. It is sometimes referred to as the maple leaf. The name "Canadian" is used to distinguish it from other flags with similar designs, such as the United States' own star-centered design. Although originally designed by Sir Edwin Landfield for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force, today it is used as the official flag of Canada. The image is based on Paul Joseph Cezanne's 1876 painting Le Cygne (The Swan), which in turn was inspired by a swan that belonged to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The king had it painted when he was planning to build a new city on a lake near Munich but never did so. Instead, he had the bird delivered by train to his castle where it remains today. Landfield gave no reason for choosing the number 11 as the reference point for the stars in his design, but many have speculated that it was done deliberately to represent the 11 provinces then part of Canada. Today, all those flags together with that of New Zealand (which also has 11 stars) form a group called the Dominion of Canada.