Flag of Iceland
Description
- A blue field with an off-centre red Nordic cross outlined in white, the red cross itself bordered in white
- The cross arm extends to the right, aligning Iceland with other Nordic countries' cross-based flags
- First hoisted in 1915, adopted as a civil flag in 1918, and confirmed as the national flag on 17 June 1944 when Iceland became a republic
Trivia
- The colours together evoke Iceland's landscape: blue seas, white glaciers, red volcanoes
- The horizontal cross arm is set closer to the hoist, a shared convention of all Nordic flags
- The flag's proportions were fixed by law in 1944 at 18:25, unusual among national flags
Flag of Iceland
Iceland's flag features a blue field bearing an off-centre red Nordic cross that is itself bordered in white, with the horizontal arm of the cross extending to the right. The design places Iceland squarely within the family of Nordic cross flags shared by Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Faroe Islands, reflecting shared Scandinavian heritage and historical ties.
The tricolour combination evokes the Icelandic landscape: blue for the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains, white for the glaciers and snow that cover much of the island, and red for the volcanic fire that continually reshapes the land. First hoisted in 1915 and adopted as a civil flag in 1918 under Danish rule, the current form was confirmed as the national flag on 17 June 1944 when Iceland became a republic.
json:data
{
"g": "nf,europe,nordic",
"ns": "iceland",
"id": "iceland",
"index": "c/iceland",
"title": "Flag of Iceland",
"ratio": "18:25",
"use": {
"as": "national flag and civil ensign",
"since": "1944-06-17"
},
"colors": [
{
"color": "blue",
"hex": "#02529C",
"cmyk": "100/70/0/10",
"note": "Represents the Atlantic Ocean surrounding Iceland and the mountains on clear days.",
"pantone": "287 C"
},
{
"color": "white",
"hex": "#FFFFFF",
"cmyk": "0/0/0/0",
"note": "Symbolises the glaciers, snow, and ice that cover much of the island."
},
{
"color": "red",
"hex": "#DC1E35",
"cmyk": "0/90/80/0",
"note": "Evokes the volcanic fire and lava that created the island.",
"pantone": "1795 C"
}
],
"desc": "- A blue field with an off-centre red Nordic cross outlined in white, the red cross itself bordered in white\n - The cross arm extends to the right, aligning Iceland with other Nordic countries' cross-based flags\n - First hoisted in 1915, adopted as a civil flag in 1918, and confirmed as the national flag on 17 June 1944 when Iceland became a republic",
"article": "iceland/flag.md",
"of": {
"country": "iceland"
},
"countryData": {
"name": "Iceland",
"officialName": "Iceland",
"continent": "europe",
"un": "member"
},
"trivia": "- The colours together evoke Iceland's landscape: blue seas, white glaciers, red volcanoes\n - The horizontal cross arm is set closer to the hoist, a shared convention of all Nordic flags\n - The flag's proportions were fixed by law in 1944 at 18:25, unusual among national flags\n",
"flag": "iceland/flag.svg",
"_name": "Iceland",
"_namespace": "iceland",
"_namePart": ""
}