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Flag of Iceland

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See also: List of flags of Iceland

Iceland
UseCivil flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion18:25[1]
Adopted17 June 1944; 81 years ago (1944-06-17) (standardization from 1918)
DesignA blue field with the white-edged red Nordic cross that extends to the edges; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side.
In Blazon, "Azure, a cross gules fimbriated argent".
Designed byMatthías Þórðarson
UseState and war flag, state and naval ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion9:16[1]
Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side The flag of the president of Iceland. It has an aspect ratio of 9:16.
Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side The flag of the Icelandic Customs Service. It has an aspect ratio of 9:16.

The flag of Iceland (Icelandic: íslenski fáninn) is defined in Law No. 34/1944, adopted on 17 June 1944, the day Iceland became a republic. The law, entitled The Law of the National Flag of Icelanders and the State Arms, describes the flag as follows:[2]

The civil national flag of Icelanders is sky-blue with a snow-white cross and a fiery-red cross inside the white cross. The arms of the crosses extend to the edges of the flag and their width is 2⁄9, and the red cross 1⁄9 of the width of the flag. The blue sections are rectangles: the hoist sections are equilateral, and the outer sections are the same width as them but twice as long. The ratio between the width and length of the flag is 18:25.

A blue-and-white flag (a white Nordic cross on a blue field) was used as an unofficial national symbol from the late 19th century and was first displayed publicly in 1897. The present design dates from 1915, when a red cross was added within the white cross, in part to distinguish the flag from similar designs. As with other Nordic cross flags, the cross is traditionally associated with Christianity.[3][4]

The flag was adopted as the national flag of Iceland when Iceland was granted sovereignty by Denmark in 1918. The colours are commonly interpreted as representing elements of the country's landscape: red for volcanic fire, white for ice and snow, and blue for the mountains and surrounding sea.[5]

History

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Old Icelandic flag (which was never an official flag) in the National Museum of Iceland, in Reykjavik, Iceland.

According to a legend cited by Andrew Evans' Iceland,[6] the Danish Dannebrog originated when a red cloth with a white cross fell from the sky during the 13th-century Battle of Valdemar. In this account, Denmark used the cross motif throughout its Nordic territories as a symbol of divine favour; as the Nordic countries later gained independence, they retained the cross as a traditional emblem.

The Icelandic civil flag was used unofficially from the late 19th century, originally as a white cross on a blue field. The current design was adopted on 19 June 1915, when King Kristján X issued a decree allowing it to be flown in Icelandic territorial waters (where the Danish flag had previously been required) and specifying the addition of a red cross to distinguish it from similar foreign flags.[7] The colours are often described as referring to Iceland's natural features: blue for the mountains, white for snow and ice, and red for volcanic fire.[5]

  • The civil flag as it appeared between 1918 and 1944, when the blue colour was classified as "ultramarine blue". It has an aspect ratio of 18:25.
    Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag The civil flag as it appeared between 1918 and 1944, when the blue colour was classified as "ultramarine blue". It has an aspect ratio of 18:25.
  • A former flag which never became official, known as Hvítbláinn ("the white-blue"), in use by Icelandic republicans around 1900. A very similar design has subsequently been adopted as the flag of Shetland.
    A former flag which never became official, known as Hvítbláinn ("the white-blue"), in use by Icelandic republicans around 1900. A very similar design has subsequently been adopted as the flag of Shetland.
  • A flag proposed by Magnús Þórðarson in 1914
    A flag proposed by Magnús Þórðarson in 1914

Laws regarding the flag

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On 17 June 1944, the day Iceland became a republic, a law was enacted governing the national flag and the coat of arms. Subsequent legislation and regulations have supplemented the original act, including measures adopted in 1991 concerning official flag days and flag times, as well as the specification of the flag's colours.

The act sets out the dimensions of the civil flag and of official variants used by state institutions, including those used by diplomatic missions and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also regulates how the flag is to be displayed in different contexts, such as on flagpoles, buildings, and vessels.

Under the act, the use of the flag is regulated and subject to conditions. It requires that the flag be treated with respect and kept in good condition, and provides penalties for acts or speech deemed to show disrespect towards the flag, including fines or imprisonment of up to one year.

The 1944 act envisaged separate rules on official flag days and flag times; these provisions were not implemented until 1991. Under the 1991 rules, the flag may not be flown before 07:00 and should normally be taken down by sunset; it must not, in any case, remain flown after midnight. Exceptions are provided for outdoor assemblies, official gatherings, funerals, and memorials, where the flag may remain flown for the duration of the event, but not beyond midnight.

Icelandic flag days

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Icelandic flags in Viðey
The Icelandic flag in Þingvellir National Park

According to Law No. 5 of 23 January 1991, the following are nationally sanctioned flag days. On these days, the flag is to be flown at state buildings and at institutions under the supervision of state authorities and official representatives. The Prime Minister's Office may announce additional flag days each year. On flag days the flag is flown fully hoisted, except on Good Friday, when it is flown at half-mast.

The state flag

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Icelandic state flag at the Embassy in Helsinki.

The Icelandic state flag (Ríkisfáni), also known as the Tjúgufáni, was first flown on 1 December 1918 from the Ministry offices, although detailed rules on its use were not finalised until 12 February 1919.

The state flag is flown on government buildings and embassies, and may also be used on other buildings when they are in official use by the state. It serves as the naval ensign of the Icelandic Coast Guard, and may be flown by state vessels and other ships in official service.

The customs service flag is flown at buildings and checkpoints used by the Directorate of Customs, and may also be used by vessels operated by the Directorate.

The presidential flag is flown at the President's residences and used on vehicles transporting the President.

Colours of the flag

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Official colour specifications for the Icelandic flag were issued in 1991. The law refers to the Standard Colour of Textile (Dictionnaire International de la Couleur) system, and the Government of Iceland has also published equivalents in widely used colour systems, including Pantone, CMYK, RGB, hex triplet and Avery.[8]

Scheme Blue White Red
SCOTDIC 693009 95 ICELAND FLAG RED
Scheme Blue White Red
Hex #02529C #FFFFFF #DC1E35
RGB 2, 82, 156 255, 255, 255 220, 30, 53
Pantone 287 1c 199
CMYK 100, 75, 2, 18 0, 0, 0, 0 0, 100, 72, 0
Avery 520 501 503

Construction sheets

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Civil flag and ensign (construction sheet)
National and merchant flag
State and war flag (construction sheet)
State and war flag, state and naval ensign

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Icelandic National Flag Proportion - Prime Minister's Office
  2. ^ "Lög um þjóðfána Íslendinga og ríkisskjaldarmerkið" [Law on the Icelandic National Flag and the State Coat of Arms] (in Icelandic). Althing (Icelandic Parliament). 1 September 2025 [First published 17 June 1944]. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  3. ^ Jeroen Temperman (2010). State Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-9004181489. Retrieved 31 December 2007. Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christianity, on their national flag. Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity.
  4. ^ Carol A. Foley (1996). The Australian Flag: Colonial Relic or Contemporary Icon. William Gaunt & Sons. ISBN 9781862871885. Retrieved 31 December 2007. The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags.
  5. ^ a b "History of the Icelandic Flag". www.government.is. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  6. ^ Andrew Evans (2008). Iceland. Bradt. ISBN 9781841622156. Retrieved 31 December 2007. Legend states that a red cloth with the white cross simply fell from the sky in the middle of the 13th-century Battle of Valdemar, after which the Danes were victorious. As a badge of divine right, Denmark flew its cross in the other Nordic countries that it ruled, and as each nation gained independence, it incorporated the Christian symbol.
  7. ^ Karlsson, Gunnar (2000). The History of Iceland. London: C. Hurst & Co. p. 283. ISBN 0-8166-3588-9.
  8. ^ "AUGLÝSING um liti íslenska fánans" (PDF). PMO.
  • Lög um þjóðfána Íslendinga og ríkisskjaldarmerkið. ( 1944 nr. 34 17. júní ).
Retrieved 14 May 2004 from http://www.althingi.is/lagas/130a/1944034.html
  • Forsetaúrskurður um fánadaga og fánatíma. ( 1991 nr. 5 23. janúar ).
Retrieved 14 May 2004 from http://www.althingi.is/lagas/125b/1991005.html
  • Auglýsing um liti íslenska fánans. ( 1991 nr. 6 23. janúar ).
Retrieved 14 May 2004 from http://www.althingi.is/lagas/125b/1991006.html
  • Lög um breyting á lögum nr. 34 17. júní 1944, um þjóðfána Íslendinga.
Retrieved 14 May 2004 from http://www.althingi.is/altext/stjt/1998.067.html
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