Iceland This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Iceland image by Edward Mooney, Jr., 15 October 2000 General flag information: The dimensions of the flag are 7:1:2:1:14 horizontally and 7:1:2:1:7 vertically. The swallow-tail flag has the dimensions of 7:1:2:1:9:12 horizontally and 7:1:2:1:7 vertically. Mark Sensen, 25 September 1995 A blue flag with a red Scandinavian Cross, fimbriated white. The construction sheet is, of course, (7+1+2+1+7):(7+1+2+1+14). Used as the national flag and merchant ensign. Željko Heimer, 31 January 2002 National Flag at the London 2012 Olympics The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [ loc12 ]) provides recommendations for national flag designs.

Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Iceland: PMS 287 blue, 1795 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise. Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012 About dimensions in Scandinavian flags image by Edward Mooney, Jr. Scandinavian crosses are measured by the width of the color, as shown in the diagram above. In the case of Iceland, horizontally there are 7 units of blue, 1 unit of white, 2 units of red, 1 unit of white, and 14 units of blue. Vertically the flag has 7 units of blue, 1 unit of white, 2 units of red, 1 unit of white and 7 units of blue.

General information BACKGROUND: The Danish National Encyclopaedia has the following to say about the Icelandic national flag: The flag has been official since 1915. The traditional colours of Iceland are blue and white; to those were added red, combined showing a historical connection to Norway. The cross in the flag symbolises the Scandinavian connection. From the 16th century until 1944 Iceland was represented in the Danish national arms; until 1903 by a crowned stockfish, a dried codfish sans head, and 1903-44 by a falcon. Ole Andersen, 11 June 1998 Colours of the flag From the outset, Iceland defined its blue colour as "sky blue" corresponding initially to ultramarine, in practice a quite light blue colour. Later, in the 1944 legislation on the national flag, the reference to ultramarine was dropped, and the term since then is just "sky blue." This would also means that the blue colour has become darker since the first adoption of the flag of Iceland.

The technical specification of the blue colour is in the SCOTDIC system (Standard Colour of Textile - Dictionaire Internationale de la Couleur) and is found in a 1991 proclamation on the flag colours. The blue colour corresponds to SCOTDIC No. 693009. The text of the announcement is found here: Althing (Iceland) Flag Colors Proclamation In recent years, the government of Iceland considered issuing colour specifications in the more well known Pantone Matching System and in the CMYK system. For printing, PMS 287 and CMYK 100-69-0-11.5 were proposed for the blue colour, and PMS 1795 and CMYK 0-94-100-0 for the red colour. However, no official action has been taken, and the PMS and CMYK specifications remain unofficial proposals. Jan Oskar Engene, 20 April 2000 As the colours are defined by the SCOTDIC scale, Album des Pavillons provides an approximation in Pantone (somewhat different from the guidelines mentioned on FOTW).

The best Browser-safe match I can provide is blue: 0-0-204, and red 255-0-0. Željko Heimer, 31 January 2002 ICELANDIC FLAG ICELANDIC FLAG . 1. Description. The national flag of Iceland is a sky-blue rectangle with a snow-white cross and a fiery-red cross in the middle of the white cross. The proportional figures for the width and length of the rectangle are 18:25. The arms of the crosses extend entirely to the edges of the flag. The width of the white cross is 2/9 and that of the red cross 1/9 of the width of the flag. The blue field is thus divided into four rectangles, the two nearest to the flagpole being squares (equilateral rectangles), the other two being of the same width as the squares, but twice as long. 2. The split-flag. The split flag (swallow-tail flag) is used by the Government, the Althingi, other official institutions, and representatives of the Foreign Service abroad, including honorary consuls.

The split-flag differs from the ordinary national flag in the following: The outer blue fields are three times as long as the squares near the flagpole. It has a slit which is cut in straight diagonal lines from the outer corners of the flag towards its horizontal median; these lines cut the inner horizontal edge of the outer rectangles at a distance from their inner vertical edge which is 3/7 of the length of these rectangles; however, the diagonal lines do not extend fully to the horizontal median of the flag; where they meet the arm of the red cross it is cut athwart by a straight line. 3. Other types of flags. Other types of flag are the flag of the President of Iceland, the post- and telegraph flag and the customs flag. All three are split-flags with different signs on them. 4. The colours of the flag. The colours are based on the Scotdic textile colour codification as follows: (a) The blue colour: Scotdic No. 693009; (b) The white colour: Scotdic No. 95; (c) The red colour: Scotdic Icelandic flag red. Consuls may acquire samples of the flag colours from an Icelandic embassy or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 5.

Use of the Icelandic flag by consuls. See Article 44 (6). 6. Official flag days. Official flag days in Iceland are the following: (a) Birthday of the President of Iceland; (b) New Year's Day (1 January); (c) Good Friday (Friday before Easter, half-mast); (d) Easter Day; (e) First Day of Summer (a Thursday during the period 19 to 25 April); (f) Labour Day (1 May); (g) Whit Sunday (seven weeks after Easter); (h) Sailors' day (the first Sunday in June, a week later if that day is Whit Sunday); (i) National Day (Proclamation of the Republic in 1944 Birthday of Jon Sigurdsson 17 June 1811); (j) First of December (Proclamation of Independence in 1918); (k) Christmas Day (25 December). As stated in Article 44 (6) all consuls are expected to fly the flag on the National Day of Iceland. 7. Handling of the flag.

Detailed stipulations regarding the handling of the Icelandic flag are set out in a booklet published by the Office of the Prime Minister in 1991. Consuls should take note of the following rules and endeavour to observe them when applicable. (a) Proportion between flag and pole. When a ground flagpole is used, its length should preferably be five times the width of the flag. If the pole is on a rooftop, the proportions should be 1:3 and if it is on the side of a house at an angle, 1:2,5. (b) Flag time. The flag should not be raised before seven O'clock in the morning. It should normally be lowered at sunset and should never be kept hoisted after midnight. (c) Flying the flag at half-mast. When the flag is to be flown at half-mast, it should first be raised to full mast and then lowered until 1/3 of the pole is above the upper edge of the flag. When the flag is flown at half-mast on the occasion of a funeral it should be raised to the top of the flagpole when the funeral is over and flown until evening in honour of the deceased. (d) Various rules.

Always when the flag is raised or lowered care should be taken not to let it touch the ground. i. The flag cord should be stretched so that the edge of the flag lies close to the pole; ii. Two or more flags should never be flown on the same pole. iii. If the Icelandic flag is among flags of other nationalities, it should be to the farthest left; iv. If the flag is hung on a wall, it should be fully extended, and the smaller rectangles should turn upwards or to the left; v. When the flag is used beside a rostrum or table, it should always be to the left of the speaker, seen from the audience, or on both sides if there are two flags; vi. The flag may not be used on a rostrum, as a tablecloth or a floor mat, or to cover a statue which is about to be presented; vii. When a coffin is covered with the flag, the cross should be towards the head; viii. The flag should always be stored in a safe place; ix. It is forbidden to fly a flag which is faded, dirty, frayed or damaged in any other way. Such a flag should be repaired without delay or else destroyed by burning.

8. Disrespect to the flag. Misuse of the flag is punishable. The use of the flag is forbidden, i.e., in firm marks, trademarks, on sales goods, packaging or in advertisements. However, changes in these stipulations have been under discussion in the Althingi. The use of the flag is also forbidden in private emblems for persons, companies, institutions, etc. When a consul learns of the misuse of the Icelandic flag, he shall notify an Icelandic embassy or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik (see Article 54 of this Manual). . ExchangeRate.com - Icelandic Flag Information | Post | View Flag of Iceland The flag of Iceland (Icelandic: Íslenski fáninn) was officially described in Law No. 34, set out on 17 June 1944, the day Iceland became a republic. The law is entitled "The Law of the National Flag of Icelanders and the State Arms" and describes the Icelandic flag as follows: The civil national flag of Icelanders is blue as the sky with a snow-white cross, and a fiery-red cross inside the white cross.

The arms of the cross extend to the edge of the flag, and their combined width is 2/9, but the red cross 1/9 of the combined width of the flag. The blue areas are right angled rectangles, the rectilinear surfaces are parallel and the outer rectilinear surfaces as wide as them, but twice the length. The dimensions between the width and length are 18:25. Iceland's first national flag was a white cross on a deep blue background. It was first shown in parade in 1897. The modern flag dates from 1915, when a red cross was inserted into the white cross of the original flag. It was adopted in 1918 and became the national flag when Iceland gained independence from Denmark in 1944. For the Icelandic people the flag's colouring represents a vision of their country's landscape. The colours stand for 3 of the elements that make up the island. Red is the fire produced by the island's volcanoes, white recalls the ice and snow that covers Iceland, and blue for the Atlantic Ocean.

The state flag (Tjúgufáni) differs from the civil one, that the outer rectangles are three times longer than the hoist side rectangles and split at the end, cut directly from the outer corners to its centre line. Cutting the inner edges of the outer rectangles at 4/7 of outer length and 3/7 of inner length of the outer rectangles. When this cut encounters the edge of the red cross it is cut vertically. History The civil flag of Iceland had been used as an unofficial symbol since 1913. It was officially adopted on 19 June 1915, to represent Iceland, and has been in use at sea since 1 December 1918, when Iceland became a separate Kingdom the family of Scandinavian countries. Other symbolic meanings refer to the natural features of Iceland itself. Blue is the colour of the Icelandic mountains, white represents the snow and ice covering the Island for most of the year, and red the volcanoes on the Island. IFIS Proposed.svgFormer unofficial flag, known as Hvítbláinn ("the white-blue"), in use by Icelandic republicans around 1900. A very similar design has subsequently been adopted as the flag of Shetland.

Laws regarding the flag On 17 June, 1944, the day Iceland became a republic, a law was issued that dealt with the national flag and the coat of arms. To date, this is the only major law to have been made about the flag and coat of arms, aside from two laws made in 1991: one that defines official flag days as well as the time of day the flag can be drawn, and another that defines the specific colours that the Icelandic flag is composed of (until then, the colouring had followed by convention; the new law set the common custom in stone). The law describes the dimensions of both the common flag and special governmental flags used by embassies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also goes into details of usage, such as how the flag should be attached in different situations such as on a flagpole, a house and on different kinds of ships. According to the law, using the flag is a privilege and not a right. The owner must follow instructions on its usage and make sure that his or her flag is in mint condition regarding colouring, wear and tear.

It also states that no-one shall disrespect the flag in act or word, subject to a fine or imprisonment of up to one year. The original law stated in its seventh article that another law would be set regarding official flag days and the time of day that the flag may be flown, but such a law was not put into effect until almost 50 years later in 1991. This law states that the flag shall not be flown until 7 o'clock in the morning, that it should preferably not be flown beyond sunset but that it must not be flown beyond midnight. However, if the flag is raised at an outdoor assembly, an official gathering, funeral or a memorial the flag may be flown as long as the event lasts, though never beyond midnight. Official flag days According to Law No. 5 of 23 January 1991, the following are nationally sanctioned flag days. On these days the flag must be raised at official buildings, and those under the supervision of officials and special represtentatives of the state. Any additions to the list below can be decided each year by the Prime Minister's Office. On these days, the flag must be fully drawn, except on Good Friday where it must be drawn at half-mast.

* The birthday of the President of Iceland * New Year's Day History | Icelandic National Flag | Subjects | Prime Minister´s Office The flag of “King Jørgen” A brief history of the Icelandic flag A brief history of the Icelandic flag by Birgir Thorlacius. Previously published in Icelandic in Fáni Íslands, skjaldarmerki, þjóðsöngur, heiðursmerki [The Flag, Coat of Arms, National Anthem and Official Honours of Iceland], published by the Prime Minister's Office, 1991. The flag and the campaign for independence The campaign for an Icelandic flag was part of Iceland's campaign for independence from Denmark. Controversy sometimes arose over design of the flag and for a long time little distinction was made between the flag and the coat of arms. Painter Sigurður Guðmundsson advocated in the 19th century that the national emblem – naturally both the flag and the coat of arms – should be a white falcon with spread wings on a blue field. This design enjoyed support for some while, for example among Grammar School and university students.

The parliamentary assembly at Þingvellir in 1885 resolved, at the instigation of Valtýr Guðmundsson, that Iceland was entitled to a separate merchant flag. The same summer the constitutional law committee in the Lower Chamber of Parliament proposed a bill on a national flag for Iceland. The proposed flag would be divided into four rectangles by a red cross with white borders. Three of the sections were to be blue with a white falcon in each. The fourth, the canton, was to be red with a white cross, i.e. like the Danish flag. Jón Sigurðsson from Gautlönd, chairman of the committee, proposed the bill in the house. The bill was not fully debated, but saw a proposal put forward for the three colours that were later used in the Icelandic flag: blue, white and red. In an article in his journal Dagskrá on March 13, 1897, poet Einar Benediktsson wrote that Iceland's national colours are blue and white and the cross is the most common and convenient flag emblem. He proposed that the Icelandic flag should be a white cross on a blue field.

Matthías Þórðarson, later Keeper of National Antiquities, showed his idea for the flag at a meeting of the Reykjavík Students' Association on September 27, 1906: a white cross on a blue field with a red cross inside the white one. These colours were supposed to represent the blue of the mountains, white ice and red fire. The National Museum of Maritime History in Stockholm contains an illustration from Calicut (Kozhikode) in the Kerala district of India, from a book by Captain Mathias Gustaf Holmers of the East India Company dating from 1740-1750. The illustration includes two flags, one Danish and the other apparently the same shape and colour as the Icelandic flag: a white cross on a blue field with a red cross inside the white one. This may have been the private flag of a trading company. As far as is known Matthías Þórðarson was not familiar with this flag when he proposed his design for the Icelandic flag in 1906. Pétur Sigurðsson, Director of the Icelandic Coast Guard, noticed the illustration in the museum in Sweden in 1957.

Matthías Þórðarson's flag proposal eventually triumphed. However, at this stage people tended to favour Einar Benediktsson's idea for a blue flag with a white cross. This design became popular, especially after a Danish warship confiscated one in 1913 from a boat in a rowing competition in Reykjavík Harbour. This incident turned the flag question into a heated political issue. The Icelandic flag was also debated in parliament, for example when a bill on a blue and white flag was proposed in 1911, and in 1913. After the end of the parliamentary session in 1913, Prime Minister Hannes Hafstein presented the issue of the flag to King Christian X at a meeting of the Danish State Council on November 22 and explained how it could be resolved by a royal decree without legislation. All that this involved was a special flag which could be used in Iceland and Icelandic territorial waters. The King approved the proposal and subsequently issued the following royal decree: “For Iceland, a special flag shall be sanctioned by law.

Its design shall be determined with a further royal decree, when the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to find out the wishes of people in Iceland in this respect. This flag may be raised anywhere in Iceland and Icelandic ships may sail under it in Icelandic waters. However, it is our desire that, on the building or site of Iceland's Government House, the swallowtail Danish Dannebrog flag should also be flown in no less worthy or smaller a place than the Icelandic flag. This our supreme decree in no way restricts the right to fly the Dannebrog flag as in the past. All concerned should conduct themselves in accordance with this.” While issuing the decree, the King remarked that he naturally assumed that the Icelandic flag would not be noticeably similar to that of any other country. He was alluding to claims made in the flag debate that the blue and white flag closely resembled the national flag of Greece.

The flag committee of 1913 On returning to Iceland the Prime Minister appointed a committee on December 30, 1913 “to consider in detail the design of the flag, establish as far as possible the nation's wishes and present proposals to the government on the shape and colour early enough to give Parliament, when it next convenes, the opportunity to deliver an opinion on it.” The committee comprised Guðmundur Björnson (Surgeon General), who was chairman, Matthías Þórðarson (Keeper of the National Antiquities), Ólafur Björnsson (newspaper editor), Jón Jónsson Aðils (academic) and Þórarinn B. Þorláksson (painter). As pointed out above, some people considered the blue and white flag to resemble the Greek national flag so closely that the Danish King would not agree to it for Iceland. At the request of the flag committee, the Prime Minister asked the king whether he would want to sanction the blue and white flag. And the king replied that he would not, since it resembled the Greek flag too closely.

In light of the royal opposition, the committee dropped its proposal for a blue and white flag. After a study by the principal of the Maritime College, it was also felt that such a flag, in poor visibility, could be confused with the Swedish flag, which is a yellow cross on a blue field. The committee presented two proposals for the colour of the flag: (1) sky blue with a white cross and a bright red cross inside it, or (2) white with a sky-blue cross with a white and blue stripe on either side. In its report, the committee said that, as the Prime Minister knew, the king would certainly ratify either of these two designs. The flag committee of 1913, left to right: Þórarinn B. Þorláksson, Ólafur Björnson, Jón J. Aðils, Matthías Þórðarson and Guðmundur Björnsson (front) On the first day of the Parliamentary session in 1914, July 1, Prime Minister Hannes Hafstein explained developments in the flag issue and distributed the flag committee's report.

He described the drawbacks of having the blue and white flag ratified, and that he had not felt able to propose another design to the king on his own. Accordingly, he had appointed the committee. The Prime Minister intended the matter to be debated in the United Chamber (both houses) of Parliament, and in camera at least to begin with, but Skúli Thoroddsen, Bjarni Jónsson from Vogur, Benedikt Sveinsson, Jón Jónsson, Björn Kristjánsson and Sigurður Eggerz submitted a proposal for a parliamentary resolution to the Lower Chamber on July 3 to elect a seven-man committee to consider the flag issue and present proposals in connection with it. Skúli Thoroddsen, who sponsored the proposal, considered that the flag was an Icelandic legislative question and the previous session of parliament had expected the Prime Minister to present a draft bill on it, and not to follow the procedure that had now been adopted. Although Hannes Hafstein firmly opposed the proposal, it was passed with a large majority and the committee was elected. However, the issue was discussed in camera, as he had intended.

A five-man committee was also elected in the Upper Chamber and the two committees combined to present a joint report and proposal in the United Chamber advocating that the royal decree from November 22, 1913 should be invoked to secure a special flag, which would represent a partial victory while conceding nothing. Skúli Thoroddsen and Bjarni from Vogur felt that this did not go far enough. A special flag would dampen interest in a fully valid flag. Along with others, they felt that the matter should have been handled as a legislative issue as intended by Parliament, and not by royal decree. Members of the house were not unanimous on the colours. Some wanted a blue and white flag with a large white star in the canton, while others favoured the committee's main proposal for a white cross in a blue field with a red cross in the centre. The joint proposal by the Upper and Lower Chamber committees for a parliamentary resolution on the design of the flag recommended: 1) the blue flag unchanged, 2) the same flag with a large white pentangle in the canton, and 3) a tricolour.

However, seven committee members expressed reservations when they signed the report and one of them (Guðmundur Björnson) declared himself in agreement with anything that did not conflict with the views of the government-appointed committee. Four Members of Parliament Guðmundur Hannesson, Sigurður Gunnarsson, Sigurður Stefánsson and Pétur Jónsson – tabled an amendment to drop the proposal for the pentangle. This was agreed by 20 votes to 18, leaving a clear choice of recommendation between the blue and white flag and the tricolour. Incidentally, there was some debate about the cost of the government-appointed committee, the first joint parliamentary committee to be set up in Iceland without sanction from Parliament itself. In the 1915 session Einar Arnórsson asked about the cost, not to stir up controversy but in order to dispel rumours about it. He mentioned newspaper reports that the committee had been paid six thousand krónur and another two thousand were outstanding. The Prime Minister reported that the cost of the committee was 6,164.26 krónur. Rejected by the King A new Prime Minister was appointed while parliament was still in session.

Hannes Hafstein left office and Sigurður Eggerz took over. At a meeting of the State Council in Copenhagen on November 30, 1914 the Prime Minister outlined the progress of the flag issue to the king and proposed that he should ratify the tricolour. But the king refused to issue a decree on the design of the flag at that stage, in spite of his earlier pledge. The reason was that Parliament and the Prime Minister did not agree with the king on whether separate Icelandic issues should be presented in the Danish State Council the king refused to ratify a draft bill on a new constitution which Parliament had passed and the Prime Minister conditionally submitted to him. The Prime Minister submitted the constitutional bill to the king for ratification first, and when it was rejected he announced his resignation. The king subsequently refused to issue a decree on the design of the Icelandic flag, although he had previously stated his readiness to approve either design, as the flag committee had pointed out in its report. The Prime Minister then declared that the king's refusal to issue a decree on the flag merely strengthened him in his resolve to resign, and he did so at the State Council meeting.

Special flag Einar Arnórsson later took over the office of Prime Minister and on June 19, 1915 a royal decree was issued specifying, with reference to the royal decree of November 22, 1913, the following design for the flag: “Sky blue (ultramarine) with a white cross and a bright red cross inside the white cross. The arms of the cross shall extend to the edge of the flag on all four sides. The width of the cross shall be 2/9 of the width of the entire flag, but the red cross half as wide, at 1/9 of the width of the flag. The hoist sections shall be square; and the fly sections shall be the same width as the hoist sections, but twice as long. The ratio between the width and the length of the flag shall be 18:25.” This is the same design that the king refused to ratify on November 30, 1914. Now the country had its own flag, but it was still not the long-awaited symbol of sovereignty. Maritime flag Before long, the flag question was back on the agenda.

One item in the Farmers' Party manifesto in 1915 was to have an Icelandic maritime flag recognised at the first instance. There was a change of government in 1917. Einar Arnórsson stepped down as Prime Minister and Jón Magnússon formed a cabinet with Björn Kristjánsson (who was replaced later that year by Sigurður Eggerz) and Sigurður Jónsson. At the request of the Independence Party's Reykjavík branch, the Prime Minister made overtures to the Danish government in spring 1917 about the possibility of a maritime flag, but the Danish premier, C. Th. Zahle, replied that he had not expected this matter to be brought up so soon after the special flag had been dealt with in 1915, recalling his remarks in the State Council on November 22, 1913 that alterations to the regular Danish maritime flag needed to be proposed to the Danish parliament. He said he could not accept a unilateral decision by Iceland to do so – but if the relationship between Iceland and Denmark was to be changed, the correct course would be to consider it in its entirety.

Some Danes also deemed it inadvisable to consider such a matter, especially a maritime flag, while World War I was still going on. When Parliament convened in the beginning of July 1917, the Prime Minister outlined these discussions to the members of the house. Early on in the session, ten members proposed the election of a seven-man committee to consider and make recommendations on a course of action to gain control of all Icelandic affairs and receive recognition of Iceland's sovereignty. The proposal was approved unanimously and the committee was elected. It subsequently presented the following proposal: “Parliament resolves to urge the Government to ensure that Iceland shall be assigned a specific and full maritime flag by royal decree, and resolves to authorise that the matter be handled in this fashion.” Introducing the proposal, Bjarni from Vogur said he felt it was vital for Iceland to have its own maritime flag, since no one knew when they would be prohibited from sailing under the Danish flag, which might halt its marine communications. The Prime Minister declared that the Government would make every effort to move the matter forward. The proposal was then approved unanimously in the Lower Chamber.

In the Upper Chamber, Magnús Torfason and Karl Einarsson presented a proposal on the flag issue, but in the end the proposal from the Lower Chamber was also presented there and passed unanimously, in full consultation with the sponsors, after an initial minor disagreement about whether it was better to pass a flag bill as law or a parliamentary resolution calling for a royal decree on a full maritime flag. In the end, it was unanimously agreed to opt for a parliamentary resolution, on the grounds that the will of Parliament was more important than the form in which it appeared. Prime Minister Jón Magnússon presented the proposal on a maritime flag to the king in the State Council on November 22, 1917, but the king rejected it, after it had been turned down flat by Zahle, the Danish Prime Minister. However, both he and the king declared their willingness to negotiate disputes about the relationship between Iceland and Denmark. Jón Magnússon did not resign when the king rejected the proposal, but stated unequivocally in the State Council that this should not be interpreted as meaning that this issue was not a priority, and that it was known for certain that Iceland's parliament would not drop the matter.

The Crown Union and the flag Events took a new turn the following year with the appointment of a joint Danish-Icelandic committee to address the relationship between the two countries. The committee first met in Reykjavík in summer 1918. The Act of Crown Union between Iceland and Denmark was approved by Parliament and the Danish State Assembly and ratified by the king on November 30, 1918. The same day a provisional law was enacted stating that as of December 1, no Icelandic ship could fly any other national flag than the Icelandic. A new royal decree on the flag was also issued. It made no changes to the shape and colour of the flag as decided in 1915, but added a provision that the Government and public institutions should use a swallowtail flag, further provisions on the use of which would be specified in a subsequent royal decree.

In order to fulfil the provisions of the flag decree from 1915 that “on the building or site of Iceland's Government House, the swallowtail Danish Dannebrog flag should also be flown in no less worthy or smaller a place than the Icelandic flag”, two flagpoles had been set up in summer 1915 on the grounds behind Government House, one for the Icelandic flag and the other for the Dannebrog flag. On the occasion of December 1, 1918 the flagpole was erected above the door of Government House which still remains there today, while the other two were bare. Sovereign flag At noon on Sunday December 1, 1918 the swallowtail flag was hoisted on the Government House flagpole when the Act of Crown Union entered into force. Finance Minister Sigurður Eggerz, who was acting Prime Minister in the absence of Jón Magnússon in Copenhagen, said in his address from the steps of Government House that “yesterday the king issued a decree on the national flag of Iceland, which as of today will fly above the Icelandic state ... The flag is the symbol of our sovereignty.

The flag embodies the most beautiful ideals of our nation, every achievement made by us, enhances the value of the flag, whether at sea in battle with the surf and rough waves, in industrial development or in the sciences and fine arts. The more noble our nation, the more noble our flag. Its honour and renown is the fame of our nation ... We ask the Almighty to give us the strength to raise our flag to renown and fame ...” As the flag of the sovereign state of Iceland was hoisted, a twenty-one gun cannon salute was heard from the Danish coastguard vessel “Islands Falk”. Its captain, Victor Lorenz Lorck, gave a speech, as did the Jóhannes Jóhannesson, Chairman of the United Chamber of Parliament. The ceremony ended with the Danish royal anthem and Danish and Icelandic national anthems. The swallowtail flag was flown above Government House on December 1, 1918 even though the provisions on its design were not finalised until February 12, 1919. In its final form the proportions were slightly altered from those of the flag used on December 1, which is now preserved at the National Museum of Iceland (no. 7961).

Parliamentary resolutions and bills In 1940, Jónas Jónsson proposed a parliamentary resolution in the Upper Chamber on the use of the national flag, which was passed. It urged the Government to make a study of legislation and customs on the correct use of the national flag in other countries and present a bill to the next session of Parliament on the treatment of the Icelandic flag. The following year the Government presented such a bill. Drafted by Sveinn Björnsson, it not only dealt with the use of the flag as prescribed in the resolution, but also addressed its design. The all-party committee of the Lower Chamber made amendments to the bill. Sveinn Björnsson's draft stated that the flag would be sky blue (ultramarine) with a white cross and a bright red cross inside the white cross, which was the same wording as in the royal decree on the flag.

After the committee's amendment it was described as follows: “The general national Icelandic flag is sky blue (ultramarine) with a snow-white cross and a fiery red (bright red) cross inside the white cross.” This description is retained in the current Flag Act, except that the word “ultramarine” has been omitted. There was some debate in Parliament on the design of the flag, including the blue and white version. The flag bill stranded in the Lower Chamber. In 1942, at the 59th session of Parliament, the bill was resubmitted by members in the form approved by the all-party committee in 1941. It was sent again to the all-party committee, which delivered a unanimous opinion to pass it unamended. Nonetheless, it stranded again. A parliamentary resolution passed in the Joint Chamber on March 10, 1944 and sponsored by Gunnar Thoroddsen and Sigurður Bjarnason urged the public to use the Icelandic flag more often and delegated the Government to issue an announcement on flag days and draw up legislation on the Icelandic flag to present to Parliament when it next convened.

It was pointed out that there were no penalties in Icelandic law for defamation of the Icelandic flag, while the penal code imposed heavy punishment for defaming the flags of foreign countries. When Parliament reconvened on June 12, 1944,, the Government presented a flag bill in the Lower Chamber. It was identical to the bill of 1942 with the amendments made by the all-parliamentary committee. Several amendments were made during the parliamentary hearings, but none concerned the design. During the hearing in the Lower Chamber, a suggestion for adopting the blue and white flag was made, but the member responsible, Jörundur Brynjólfsson, said he would not present an amendment to that effect, although he expected the issue to be raised later. The flag bill was passed as law by Parliament on June 15, 1944 after only four days' hearing. Then Republic of Iceland was established. The National Flag Act was the first legislation ratified by the newly elected President of Iceland, Sveinn Björnsson.

He did so at a meeting of the State Council held on June 17, 1944 in the ministerial house at Þingvellir, which was later destroyed by fire. The Act was co-signed by the Prime Minister, Björn Þórðarson. The Flag Act prescribed that a presidential decree should be issued on flag days, etc. According to the decree, which was made on August 17, 1944, public institutions should fly the flag on the following days: the birthday of the President of Iceland, New Year's Day, Good Friday (at half-mast), Easter Sunday, the First Day of Summer, May 1, Whit Sunday, National Day (June 17), December 1 (Home Rule Day) and Christmas Day. Under the Act, a regulation may be issued containing explanatory provisions if this is deemed necessary. Act No. 20/1987 made Seamen's Day a flag day. The current decree on flag days and flag times dates from January 23, 1991, as does the announcement on the colours of the flag.

Sundry issues Ever since the campaign for an Icelandic national flag began it was an integral part of the campaign to reclaim Iceland's independence and sovereignty from Denmark. The spirit of independence that surged with ideas for a blue and white Icelandic flag undoubtedly played more part in the Danish king's rejection of it than its resemblance to the Greek flag; at least, Greece itself expressed no reservations about the design. Two world wars demonstrated to the people of Iceland that above all they had to rely upon themselves. Events turned in Iceland's favour at the end of World War I. As the armistice approached in 1918 and the Allied victory was obvious, it seemed likely that subjugated nations and minorities would be allowed to choose which of their neighbours they wished to belong to. Denmark set much store by regaining the northernmost districts of South Jutland, which had a large Danish majority but had been captured and incorporated into Germany in 1864. For consistency's sake, Denmark would have to take a liberal attitude towards the nations under their jurisdiction if they intended to reclaim their rights in the case of South Jutland.

All the political parties in Denmark apart from the Conservative Party favoured giving Iceland a freer hand at that time, to strengthen their bargaining position among the Allies. World War II then severed all governmental ties between Iceland and Denmark. The blue and white flag is now the school flag of Laugarvatn Grammar School. On the day of its foundation, April 13, 1953, the school was presented with the blue and white silk flag with which Einar Benediktsson's coffin was draped at a commemorative service in Reykjavík Cathedral on January 26, 1940, and it is preserved at the school. The Icelandic youth movement has also adopted the blue and white flag and uses it as its emblem. Youth societies played a large and noteworthy part in the campaign for an Icelandic flag. The flag of “King Jørgen” When Danish adventurer Jørgen Jørgensen declared himself King of Iceland for a few days in summer 1809 (the dog days), he posted an announcement on the streets of Reykjavík on June 26, prescribing a separate flag for Iceland.

In a second announcement on July 11 he stated that the Icelandic flag should be blue with three cods in the canton. For a long time by then, a cod with a gold crown on a red shield above it had been used as a symbol of Iceland. Jørgen's choice is difficult to explain now. In his defence later he said that he had flown the ancient flag of Iceland, as shown by the national seal. He is referring of course only to the cod emblem, not the colour. Conceivably he may have been aware that Sheriff Skúli Magnússon commissioned Eggert Ólafsson to design a flag for the first industrial workshops in Reykjavík and their two ships, Friðriksósk and Friðriksgæfa in 1752-1754. The flag showed a split salted cod with the letters PII (for Privileged Icelandic Interests), although of course this was not a national flag. In choosing a colour for his flag, Jørgen may have taken into account that blue was popularly considered to be a national colour for Iceland.

In an article on the female national costume in 1857, painter Sigurður Guðmundsson states that the national colour of Iceland in the Saga Age was the same as in his day: dark blue (“raven blue”). No colour can be inferred from ancient seals, but the gold-crowned cod in the national seal from 1593 was not shown on a red shield until after it had been incorporated into the Danish coat of arms, whose primary colours were red, yellow and blue. Although Sigurður Guðmundsson described blue as the dominant colour in Icelandic clothing throughout the ages and the extant coats of arms of Icelandic nobility from the 15th century have blue fields, other colours had also been customary before then, such as red clothes and red shields, even if these were not coats of arms in the proper sense. The blue colour associated with the mountains, the beauty of the blue summer sky and the sea, or an influence from the blue used in the old Scottish St.

Andrews saltire or the Union Jack which had only been in use for few years (since 1801) when Jørgen seized power in Iceland may have determined the colour of his flag, since he had spent a long time in England before then. Blue may also simply have been the colour of the most immediately available material for an impromptu flag. Be that as it may, the use of blue as the main colour appears to have been undisputed at all stages of the flag question. On July 12, 1809 the flag described above – blue with a canton of three cod – was flown from the mast of the Petræus warehouse which stood at the southern end of Hafnarstræti (no. 6) in Reykjavík. The frigate Margaret and Ann, which lay offshore under a British flag and pennant, fired an eleven-gun salute in its honour. This flag disappeared when Jørgen's brief “reign” came to an end, but it is the first idea for a special national flag for Iceland.

Iceland This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Iceland Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors 18:25 image by Edward Mooney, Jr., 15 October 2000 A blue flag with a red Scandinavian Cross, fimbriated white. The construction sheet is, of course, (7+1+2+1+7):(7+1+2+1+14). Used as the national flag and merchant ensign. Željko Heimer, 31 January 2002 General flag information: The dimensions of the flag are 7:1:2:1:14 horizontally and 7:1:2:1:7 vertically. The swallow-tail flag has the dimensions of 7:1:2:1:9:12 horizontally and 7:1:2:1:7 vertically. Mark Sensen, 25 September 1995 About dimensions in Scandinavian flags image by Edward Mooney, Jr. Scandinavian crosses are measured by the width of the color, as shown in the diagram above.

In the case of Iceland, horizontally there are 7 units of blue, 1 unit of white, 2 units of red, 1 unit of white, and 14 units of blue. Vertically the flag has 7 units of blue, 1 unit of white, 2 units of red, 1 unit of white and 7 units of blue. General information BACKGROUND: The Danish National Encyclopaedia has the following to say about the Icelandic national flag: The flag has been official since 1915. The traditional colours of Iceland are blue and white; to those were added red, combined showing a historical connection to Norway. The cross in the flag symbolises the Scandinavian connection. From the 16th century until 1944 Iceland was represented in the Danish national arms; until 1903 by a crowned stockfish, a dried codfish sans head, and 1903-44 by a falcon. Ole Andersen, 11 June 1998 Colours of the flag From the outset, Iceland defined its blue colour as "sky blue" corresponding initially to ultramarine, in practice a quite light blue colour.

Later, in the 1944 legislation on the national flag, the reference to ultramarine was dropped, and the term since then is just "sky blue." This would also means that the blue colour has become darker since the first adoption of the flag of Iceland. The technical specification of the blue colour is in the SCOTDIC system (Standard Colour of Textile - Dictionaire Internationale de la Couleur) and is found in a 1991 proclamation on the flag colours. The blue colour corresponds to SCOTDIC No. 693009. The text of the announcement is found here: Althing (Iceland) Flag Colors Proclamation In recent years, the government of Iceland considered issuing colour specifications in the more well known Pantone Matching System and in the CMYK system. For printing, PMS 287 and CMYK 100-69-0-11.5 were proposed for the blue colour, and PMS 1795 and CMYK 0-94-100-0 for the red colour. However, no official action has been taken, and the PMS and CMYK specifications remain unofficial proposals.

Jan Oskar Engene, 20 April 2000 As the colours are defined by the SCOTDIC scale, Album des Pavillons provides an approximation in Pantone (somewhat different from the guidelines mentioned on FOTW). The best Browser-safe match I can provide is blue: 0-0-204, and red 255-0-0. Željko Heimer, 31 January 2002 Design | Icelandic National Flag | Subjects | Prime Minister´s Office Design 1. Regular national flag The following description of the Icelandic national flag is given in Article 1 of the Flag Act No. 34/1944: “The blue hoist sections are square and the blue fly sections are the same width as the two squares, but twice as long. The red cross should be set in the centre of the white cross to form white stripes of an equal width along its sides. The width of the red cross should be 1/9 of the width of the flag, and the white stripes half as wide, i.e.

1/18 of the width of the flag.” The Flag Act states that the flag colours are “sky blue,” fire red” and “snow white.” To dispel any doubt concerning the colours, the SCOTDIC standard is now used as a reference, as stated in Announcement No. 6/1991 on the Icelandic Flag issued by the Prime Minister. When printing the flag, every effort must be made to achieve the correct colours, but since they print differently depending on the type of paper, specific standards are difficult to proscribe. Announcement No. 6/1991 states that details of the flag colours are provided by the Prime Minister's Office and Icelandic embassies abroad. Furthermore, the flag in its correct colours and proportions shall be on display in the National Museum of Iceland and in police stations. 2. State flag The state flag (swallowtail flag) is the regular national flag with a swallowtail at the fly end.

It differs from the national flag in that its fly end sections are three times the length of the hoist sections, with the fly end cut along straight lines drawn from its corners towards its centre line to intersect the inside border between the fly end sections at the point where 4/7 of their outer length and 3/7 of their inner length meet. The red cross is cut perpendicularly where these lines meet its arm. 3. Presidential flag The flag of the President of Iceland is the state flag (swallowtail) figuring the Icelandic coat of arms where the arms of the cross meet, with shield bearers on a white rectangular field. 4. Customs flag The customs flag is the state flag with a capital T (the Icelandic word for customs is “Tollur”) in the centre of the canton. The T-form is silver. The height of the T is half the width of the canton. Iceland Flag Iceland Flag The national flag of Iceland was officially adopted on June 19, 1915. Flag of Iceland Disclaimer Close Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited, its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same.

Download Picture of Iceland Flag Outline for kids to color Flag of Iceland Description The flag of Iceland is royal blue with an off-center red cross outlined in white. The flag's cross is perpendicular, and runs from top to bottom and left to right. The intersection of the cross is slightly to the left of center of the rectangular national flag. Each of the colors of the flag of Iceland represents a major feature of the nation's geography. The blue represents the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the country, the red depicts the fires of the nation's volcanoes, and white shows the snow that covers much of Iceland. Flag of Iceland History Designed by Matthias Thordarson, the flag of Iceland's designs of the cross was borrowed from the flag of Denmark, known as the Dannebrog. The cross is a symbol of Christianity and is also found in the flags of other Scandinavian nations. The flag was officially adopted in 1915, but it was met with disapproval from the King of Iceland who refused to accept the blue-white-red combination as the national flag.

In June 19, 1915, a royal decree allowed the usage of the flag on land and by November 30, 1918, the Icelandic king approved of the flag as the national ensign. When Iceland became a republic in June 1944, the current flag was sealed into law as the official flag of the Republic of Iceland. ACOD~20121207 Iceland - Flag History This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Iceland - Flag History From 1350 to 1896 From about 1350 Iceland's arms were on a red field a silver stockfish (a split and dried cod) with a golden crown. These arms were incorporated into the arms of the Kings of Denmark, and so were a part of the Danish Royal standard until this century. Incidentally, it was also part of several Greek royal flags, since the Greek royal family was related to that of Denmark. As Iceland went with Norway in union with Denmark, the Danish flag was used also in Iceland.

Jan Oskar Engene, 6 January 2001 There was no need for an Icelandic flag during this period, since its only use would have been on sea, but ships used the Danish flag. The first idea regarding an Icelandic flag was put forward in 1809. In that year a Danish adventurer, Jörgen Jörgensen, captain of a British ship, became an usurper in Iceland for a few weeks. He declared himself king and soon afterwards announced a new flag, blue with three stockfish (see: ) This flag was first put up on 12th of July 1809. - As mentioned before Jörgensen was soon arrested and his short-lived reign did not have much influence in Iceland and the flag was put away. Later, approx. 1870, an Icelandic artist, Sigurdur Gudmundsson, put forward a new flag - a silver falcon on a blue background. (see: ). This flag became popular among students and in 1874, when Icelanders celebrated 1000 years of settlement, this flag was much used.

- The silver falcon was later used in the Icelandic coat of arms from 1903-1918, thereby replacing the crowned stockfish. In 1897, the poet Einar Benediktsson wrote a newspaper article claiming that the falcon-flag was not in accordance with international traditions and had to be replaced. As you point out, he suggested a white cross on blue background . This flag became popular among the more radical part of the nation demanding independence from Denmark, and - as mentioned below - gained enormous popularity after the incident in 1913. Stefán Pálsson, 3 April 2003 1897 In 1897 an unofficial flag with a white cross on a blue field was made, and this became popular it seems, at least until the current flag was introduced in 1915. Though it was a Scandinavian cross flag, it was too similar to the Greek flag, and did not meet with official approval. Jan Oskar Engene, 24 June 1996 In 1897 the poet Einar Bendiktsson proposed arms and flag for Iceland.

In an article printed in the newspaper Dagskra on the 13th of March, 1897, Einar Bendiktsson proposed to do away with the crowned stockfish as arms of Iceland. He wanted to have a silver falcon on blue instead. Einar Bendiktsson wanted the flag to be based on the colours of the arms, so that the flag of Iceland was to be a blue field with a white Nordic cross. Jan Oskar Engene, 6 January 2001 A 1907 postcard (black and white) at shows the pre-WWI unofficial flag of Iceland, a white Scandinavian cross on blue. It appears that the flag on the post card lighter in colour. Jan Mertens, 11 May 2005 1903 In 1903, the same year as Iceland got home rule, the Icelanders had the stockfish replaced with new arms. They felt that the stockfish was a humiliating symbol that the ruling Danes had invented for them. The new arms (adopted 11 December 1903) had a blue field with a silver falcon.

The colours and the falcon were regarded as more ancient symbols of the country than the stockfish (this is not the case however). Jan Oskar Engene, 6 January 2001 Alternate proposal of 1914 image by Jan Oskar Engene According to Birgir Thorlacius : Fa�ni I�slands og skjaldarmerki, Andvari, Vol. 6 (New series), No. 1, 1964, the flag that was hoisted in front of the government building in Reykjavik on Sunday 1. December 1918 is item no. 15134 of the National Museum. There is no reason to consider this the original flag, however, as the Icelandic flag of this exact design was approved by Royal decree dated 19 June 1915 and put into use then. William Crampton claims in his The World of Flags: A Pictorial History (Rev. edition, London: Studio Editions, 1992, p.

52) that the present design was introduced on 22 November 1913, but this is not correct as this date refers to a proclamation by king Christian X to the effect that Iceland had the right to fly a separate flag on land and in territorial waters. It was explicitly specified that the design of the flag which was to be decided by a future royal decree. It took a further couple of years to settle on a design, as the king refused to recognized the blue and white cross flag widely used for some time and favoured by many Icelanders. This flag was too reminiscent of the Greek flag, according to the opinion of His Majesty, though this is difficult to understand as the Greek flag of the day was the same as the one in use today. In the end, the flag committee appointed by parliament came up with two proposals, the primary one corresponding to the current Icelandic flag [shown at the top of this page], the secondary being also a cross flag with a white field charged with a blue cross bordered in white and blue. This was not the first time a blue-white-red cross flag had been proposed, however.

It seems that honour belongs to Matthias Thordarson who suggested such a design during a debate in the student�s society of Reykjavik on 27. September 1906. The source for this information is again the article by Birgir Thorlacius . Jan Oskar Engene, 6 January 2001 The flags of 1915 image by Jan Oskar Engene The blue and white flag gained some popularity, especially after the flag incident of 12 June 1913. A young man, Einar Petursson, was rowing around Reykjavik harbour with a blue and white flag flying from the small boat. The captain of the Danish coast guard ship "Islands Falk" ("Falcon of Iceland") arrested the young man and confiscated the flag. This provoked outrage throughout Reykjavik and blue and white flags appeared everywhere. As the captain tried to go ashore to pursue the matter against the young man, he was forced to go back again under an espalier of blue and white flags.

(See this photo of Petursson, courtesy of the Prime Minister's office, Iceland.) A meeting was called and a resolution protesting against the action of the captain was adopted. The resolution also called for the official adoption of a flag for Iceland. The parliament wanted the blue and white cross flag, but this was denied by Danish authorities, apparently because the King thought this flag to be too similar to the royal flag of Greece. The new flag of 1915 had a blue field with a red cross bordered in white. It is this flag that is used today. The design was proposed by Matthias Thordarson. He explained the colours as blue for the mountains, white for ice and red for fire (Iceland has much volcanic activity). Though the King had agreed that the Icelanders had the right to a flag, he declined to accept the blue-white-red flag at first. However, a Royal decree of 19 June 1915 allowed the flag to be used on land, but restricted the use at sea to local waters. The flag was officially accepted by the king 30 November 1918 and adopted by law as the national flag the same day.

It was first hoisted (as a state ensign) 1 December 1918. On this day Iceland became a separate kingdom united with Denmark under one king. Although the pattern is the same as the modern flag, note that the shade of blue has changed. Originally, the flag was described as "sky blue (ultramarine blue)", a light blue shade. When legalisation was enacted in 1944, the ultramarine specification was dropped, and the shade of blue got darker. Jan Oskar Engene, 2 February 2002 The National Museum of Iceland has the original flag that was flown on Iceland's Independence Day on the 18th of December 1918.

Petrína Bachmann, PMO, Reykjavik, 2 January 2001 State Flag and Ensign (1915) image by Jan Oskar Engene Iceland - Fahnen Flaggen Fahne Flagge Flaggen-Shop Versand kaufen bestellen National Flag at the London 2012 Olympics The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [ loc12 ]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Iceland: PMS 287 blue, 1795 red. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.

Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012 General information BACKGROUND: The Danish National Encyclopaedia has the following to say about the Icelandic national flag: The flag has been official since 1915. The traditional colours of Iceland are blue and white; to those were added red, combined showing a historical connection to Norway. The cross in the flag symbolises the Scandinavian connection. From the 16th century until 1944 Iceland was represented in the Danish national arms; until 1903 by a crowned stockfish, a dried codfish sans head, and 1903-44 by a falcon. Ole Andersen, 11 June 1998 Colours of the flag From the outset, Iceland defined its blue colour as "sky blue" corresponding initially to ultramarine, in practice a quite light blue colour. Later, in the 1944 legislation on the national flag, the reference to ultramarine was dropped, and the term since then is just "sky blue." This would also means that the blue colour has become darker since the first adoption of the flag of Iceland.

The technical specification of the blue colour is in the SCOTDIC system (Standard Colour of Textile - Dictionaire Internationale de la Couleur) and is found in a 1991 proclamation on the flag colours. The blue colour corresponds to SCOTDIC No. 693009. The text of the announcement is found here:

Question: What colour is the inner cross on the national flag of Iceland?
Answer: Red