Flag of Iceland
| Use | Civil flag and ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 18:25 |
| Adopted | 17 June 1944 (standardization from 1918) |
| Design | A 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 by | Matthías Þórðarson |
| Use | State and war flag, state and naval ensign |
| Proportion | 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:
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.
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.