Flag of Finland

Meaning and history of the flag of Finland

Finland's flag, known as the siniristilippu, or blue cross flag, features a blue Scandinavian cross on a white field. It was officially adopted on May 29, 1918, shortly after the country won independence in December 1917. The design follows the off-center Nordic cross pattern shared with Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland.

The white stands for the snow that blankets Finland for much of the year, as well as for purity and honesty. The blue represents the country's thousands of lakes -- an estimated 188,000 of them -- and the Finnish sky. Together the two colors poetically capture Finland's wintry landscape of blue skies over snow-covered fields, an image deeply tied to national identity.

The current design was the work of artists Eero Snellman and Bruno Tuukkanen. The state version places the coat of arms, a gold lion on a red field, at the center of the cross. Unlike other Nordic flags that combine three colors, Finland's flag stands out for its simplicity, using just two, which gives it a restrained, distinctive elegance.

You can view the flag of Finland in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Finland profile, its map, or the current local time in Helsinki.