The History of the Nordic Flags & Nordic Cross

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Historian and global flag expert Haitham Kuraishi goes over the history & symbolism behind the Nordic nations’ flags

Co-authored by Haitham Kuraishi and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Flags Explained
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• Nordic Cross Meaning
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• “Nordic” vs. “Scandinavian”
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• Video

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If you’re a flag enthusiast or a Nordic history buff, you’ve probably noticed that the flags of many Nordic and Scandinavian countries look very similar—and we’re here to explain why! In this article, wikiHow partnered with flag experts to explore the meaning and history of each Nordic flag and the symbolism of the Nordic cross that appears on almost all of them. Keep scrolling to learn more!

The Nordic Flags

Historian and global flag expert Haitham Kuraishi says the Nordic (sometimes called Scandinavian) flags include those of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, the Faroe Islands, and the Åland Islands. Almost all of them feature a Nordic cross, representing these nations’ shared history, cultural ties, and largely Christian faith.

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Section 1 of 3:

Nordic Flags Design & History

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1. 
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   Denmark The Danish flag features a red background with a white Nordic cross (a horizontal Christian cross oriented toward the left of the flag). According to legend, the flag appeared to the Danish king Valdemar Sejr (Valdemar the Victorious) when it fell from the sky during a battle against Estonia in 1219 CE. The Danes' luck then turned around, and they won the battle.

   • Kuraishi adds that Denmark was the first country to use the Nordic or Scandinavian cross design.
   • According to flag expert Austin Krance, the Danish flag is the longest continuously used national flag. Kuraishi agrees, noting that it’s been used since the 13th century (and it’s also commonly known as the Danish Dannebrog).
   • The flag’s Christian origin myth (as well as Denmark’s rule over many Nordic territories throughout history) is what inspired the use of the Nordic cross in other Nordic and Scandinavian countries’ flags.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Haitham Kuraishi is a historian and global flag expert. He creates content on topics including history, geography, maps, travel, and flags, and has over 182k followers on TikTok.

   Austin Krance is a global geography and flag expert. He creates short form content with a focus on trivia and geography, and has 100k+ followers on Instagram and TikTok.
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   Sweden The Swedish flag resembles the Danish flag, but with a blue background and a yellow Nordic cross. The colors are inspired by the 14th-century state coat of arms of Sweden, which features a blue background with three golden crowns. The flag was used as early as the 16th century, but was officially re-adopted after several changes on June 22, 1906.

   • Kuraishi explains that Sweden was influenced by Denmark’s flag design, which is likely due to their close ties.
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   Norway The Norwegian flag looks nearly identical to the Danish flag, but with a thinner blue cross superimposed over the white Nordic cross for distinction. The Danish flag with an added Norwegian coat of arms had traditionally been used in Norway (the two nations were united prior to the Napoleonic wars) until Swedish rule was imposed on the country in 1814. After being forced to use a combined flag with Sweden for decades, the modern Norwegian flag was finally signed into law on December 10, 1898.

   • As Kuraishi explains, Norwegian ships used to fly the Danish flag. However, after Norway's union with Sweden in 1814, they added a lion to the flag’s design. Later, they added a white cross to make a unique flag of their own.
   • Norway peacefully gained independence from Sweden in 1905.
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   Iceland The Icelandic flag features a blue background with a white and red Nordic cross, a reference to its close historical ties to Denmark (Iceland was under Danish rule for centuries until it became a sovereign state of Denmark in 1918 and a full, independent republic in 1944). The three colors represent the three elements that created the island nation: water, ice, and fire.

   • Kuraishi notes that Iceland's flag design was inspired by Norway's flag, which is why it is an inverted version of it.
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   Finland The Finnish flag has a white background and a blue Nordic cross on it and was adopted after Finland’s independence from Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917. At first, a red flag with a gold and white lion and white roses (designed after the Finnish coat of arms) was used, but the modern white and blue flag proved to be more popular and was adopted officially in 1918.

   • The white background represents the snows of Finland, and the blue cross symbolizes its many lakes.
   • According to Kuraishi, Finland was a part of Sweden from the 12th century until 1809. Upon Finland’s independence, they adopted a new flag which was inspired by the Swedish flag.
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   Greenland Unlike many Nordic flags, the flag of Greenland does not feature a Nordic cross on a solid-colored background. Instead, the flag features two horizontal stripes of white and red (representing its history as part of the Kingdom of Denmark) with a circle in the center left (where the Nordic cross would be) symbolizing the sun setting on the horizon and the light that returns at midsummer.

   • The lack of a Nordic cross represents the country’s political semi-freedom and ties to other Inuit peoples around the North Pole.
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   Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are a self-governing chain of islands between Scotland and Iceland that belong to the Kingdom of Denmark. Their flag features a white background (representing the foam of the waves around the islands) with a blue and red Nordic cross, a nod to their history with Denmark. The Faroese people are very proud of their flag, first officially recognized in 1940, and they fly it frequently to symbolize their cultural autonomy and national identity.

   • Kuraishi notes that the Faroe Islands flag was designed by Faroese students in Copenhagen, and it was inspired by the Norwegian and Icelandic flag colors.
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   Åland Islands The flag of the Åland Islands represents its complex history with both Sweden and Finland. Originally a part of Sweden for centuries, it was ceded to the Russian Empire in 1809 after the Finnish War (along with Finland, also a long-time part of Sweden). After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Åland Islands were recognized as part of Finland (and not Sweden, which Ålanders are culturally and linguistically closer to).

   • As Kuraishi explains, Åland's flag is similar to Sweden's because many Ålanders are of Swedish origin. He says the extra red Nordic cross represents Finland since Åland is under their sovereignty.
   • It was officially adopted by the Åland parliament in 1953 and approved by the President of Finland in 1954.
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   Sápmi region Sápmi is not a political entity or country, but is recognized as the cultural homeland of the indigenous Sami people (covering northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia). Adopted in 1986 at the 13th Nordic Sami Conference, the flag features vertical stripes of red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the colors of traditional reindeer herding garments. A blue and red circle, representing the sun and moon, sits in the center-left.
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Section 2 of 3:

What does the Nordic cross symbolize?

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1. 
   The Nordic cross represents Christianity and the cultural unity of the Nordic nations. The first Nordic cross (also called the Scandinavian cross) appeared on Denmark’s flag (the Dannebrog) in the 13th century and was seen as a symbol of Christianity, says Kuraishi. Historically, Denmark has ruled over Norway, Sweden, parts of Finland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands at various times. Almost all of these countries and territories (minus Greenland) have incorporated the Nordic cross into their flags as a result of this shared history.

   • Outside of the Nordic countries, the Nordic cross also appears on the flags of cities, states, and ethnic groups around the world, including in Armenia, Brazil, Croatia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, and the US.

Section 3 of 3:

“Nordic” vs. “Scandinavian”

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1. 
   “Scandinavian” refers primarily only to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Many people use “Nordic” and “Scandinavian” interchangeably, but they are different. As Kuraishi explains, “Scandinavia” only refers to the 3 countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. “Nordic” includes those 3 countries as well as Finland and Iceland, the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland (which are both under Denmark), and the autonomous region of Åland (which is under Finland).

   • To put it another way, all Scandinavian countries are Nordic, but not all Nordic countries are Scandinavian.
   • Kuraishi says the Scandinavian countries have the most common and shared ancestry, language, and connected histories. They’ve also been united throughout history, such as the Kalmar, Sweden-Norway, and Denmark-Norway unions.
   • According to Kuraishi, the Nordic countries and territories generally have great relations and many treaties, as they are neighbors and members of the Nordic Council.
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