The
Nordic Cross Flag,
Nordic Cross or
Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the
flagA flag is a piece of fabric, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used symbolically for signaling or identification. It is most commonly used to symbolize a country...
s of the
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
n countries of which it originated. All the
Nordic countriesThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
have adopted such flags. The
crossA cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run diagonally, the design is technically termed a saltire....
design is depicted extending to the edges of the flag with the vertical part of the cross shifted to the hoist side as opposed to flags where the cross is centred on the flag. The first flag with this design was the
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
DannebrogThe national flag of Denmark, Dannebrog, is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. The cross design of the Danish flag was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland,...
; thereafter,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
,
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
, and some of their subdivisions used this as inspiration for their own flags. The
NorwegianThe flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark...
flag was the first Nordic cross flag with three colours. Though the flags share this pattern, they have individual histories and symbolism.
Some of the flags in this list do not have official status. Also, note that
flag proportionsThe design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
may vary between the different flags and sometimes even between different versions of the same flag.
Flags of the Nordic countries
Note that most of these flags are historical or have not been officially adopted and their use remains limited.
Flags of the British Isles
Many locations in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
were colonized by Norwegian and Danish settlers and
vikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
raiders during the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. Several locales, particularly in the Scottish islands, have flags or have had flag proposals based on the Nordic cross as a recognition of this Scandinavian heritage.
Flags of the Baltic states
Many territories around the
Baltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and the...
have begun using Nordic cross flags. Sometimes this is done to bolster the locality's association with the Scandinavian states (and, as with the proposed flags of Latvia and Estonia, to assert a Baltic identity over a long-standing affiliation with the
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n sphere of influence.)
Flags of Germany
Nordic flags in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
were historically used to allude to the nation's
NorseNorsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language. The meaning of Norseman was "people from the North"...
heritage and Nordic origins. Nordic flag designs very similar to
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
's,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
's, and
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
's national flags were proposed as Germany's national flags in both 1919 and 1948, after
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, respectively. Today, the Nordic cross is a feature in some city and district flags or coats of arms.
Flags elsewhere that feature the Nordic Cross or similar design
Flags where the vertical bar is centered (such as certain
GreekThe flag of Greece is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the people of Greece and Greek Cypriots...
and
SwissThe flag of Switzerland consists of a red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center. It is one of only two square sovereign-state flags, the other being the flag of the Vatican City...
flags) are not included here; see
Gallery of flags with crosses-See also:*Nordic Cross Flag*Gallery of flags with crescents...
.
See also
- Flags of Central America
- Flags with crosses
- Flag of Gran Colombia
- Gallery of flags by design
-Solid:Three examples:-Bicolour:Examples:-Tricolour and other tribands:Examples:-Quartered:-Stripes:Four examples:-Border:Four examples:-Canton:-Circle or sphere:Four examples:...
- Gallery of flags with crosses
-See also:*Nordic Cross Flag*Gallery of flags with crescents...
- Pan-African colours
Two different sets of three colours are referred to as the Pan-African colours: the green, gold, and red first used in the flag of Ethiopia; and the red, black, and green adopted by the American-based Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
- Pan-Arab colours
- Pan-Slavic colours
The Pan-Slavic colors, red, blue and white, are colors used on the flags of some Slavic peoples and states in which the majority of inhabitants possess a Slavic background. Their use symbolizes the common origin of the Slavic peoples. Originally, it was the flag of the Russian Empire turned upside...
- Southern Cross Flag
Southern Cross Flags are flags which depict the Southern Cross. "Southern Cross" is the English name of Crux, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also depicted in coats of arms of various countries and sub-national entities...
- Tricolour
A tricolour or tricolor is a flag or banner more-or-less equally divided into three bands of differing colors...
External links