Flag of Sweden

Meaning and history of the flag of Sweden

The flag of Sweden features a golden-yellow Scandinavian cross on a blue field. The cross extends to the flag's edges, with its vertical arm shifted toward the hoist in keeping with Nordic tradition. Blue and yellow have been documented as Swedish national colors since at least 1442, when they appeared on the coat of arms of King Charles VIII.

According to legend, King Eric IX saw a golden cross in the blue sky before Sweden's first crusade into Finland in the twelfth century, inspiring the design. The flag was formally established in 1906, although its use dates back centuries earlier. The Scandinavian cross is shared by all the Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, as well as by autonomous territories such as the Faroe Islands and Åland. The Danish flag (the Dannebrog), considered the oldest continuously used flag in the world, is the origin of this cross tradition, which Sweden adapted using its own heraldic colors.

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