Flag of Norway

Meaning and history of the flag of Norway

Norway's flag is red with a dark blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white. The cross is offset toward the hoist, following the Nordic tradition established by the Danish Dannebrog. It was officially adopted on July 17, 1821, making it one of the oldest national designs still in use.

Red, white, and blue were chosen by parliamentarian Fredrik Meltzer as colors representing liberty, inspired by the flags of France, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom — all nations associated with democratic and liberal ideals. The Scandinavian cross links Norway to the shared tradition of the Nordic countries: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

Norway's flag was designed during the country's union with Sweden and represented an act of national assertion. Notably, it contains within it the colors of several other flags: the blue cross on a red field with white borders can be seen as a layering of Denmark's flag (a white cross on red) with the red, white, and blue of France and the Netherlands. It is the only Nordic flag to combine these three "colors of liberty" with the Scandinavian cross format.

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