See also: List of flags of Finland

Flag of Finland

Name	Flag of the Republic of Finland
Use	Civil flag and ensign. The following is a list of flags of Finland. National flag and State flag President's flag Military flag flag of south africa This is an incomplete blue white red black green, saltire flag Nicknames. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. A civil flag is a version of the National flag that is flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	11:18
Adopted	1918
Design	Sea-blue Nordic cross on white field
Name	The State flag of the Republic of Finland
Use	State flag and ensign. Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated flag of south africa This is an incomplete blue white red black green, saltire flag Nicknames. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in Vexillology – the flag of state of a Government, and the flag of an individual subnational state A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	11:18
Adopted	1918
Design	Sea-blue Nordic cross on white field, rectangular Coat of Arms of Finland (colors gold and silver on red)
Name	The flag of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Finland
Use	War flag and naval ensign. Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated The Coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field the right forepaw replaced with an armoured hand brandishing a sword trampling on a saber with the hindpaws flag of south africa This is an incomplete blue white red black green, saltire flag Nicknames. The design and description of Flags typically uses specialised flag terminology' with precise and technical meanings and is hence a form of Jargon. A war flag (or military flag) is a variant of a National flag for use by the nation's military forces on land A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
Proportion	11:19
Adopted	1918
Design	Sea-blue Nordic cross on white field, rectangular Coat of Arms of Finland (colors gold and silver on red), swallow-tailed
Name	The flag of the President of the Republic of Finland
Proportion	11:19
Adopted	1918
Design	Sea-blue Nordic cross on white field, rectangular Coat of Arms of Finland (colors gold and silver on red), swallow-tailed, Cross of Liberty in canton (colors gold on blue)

Temporary state flag used from December 1917 to May 1918

The flag of Finland, also called Siniristilippu ("Blue Cross Flag"), dates from the beginning of the 20th century. Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated The Coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field the right forepaw replaced with an armoured hand brandishing a sword trampling on a saber with the hindpaws flag of south africa This is an incomplete blue white red black green, saltire flag Nicknames. Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated The Coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field the right forepaw replaced with an armoured hand brandishing a sword trampling on a saber with the hindpaws There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty ( Vapaudenristin ritarikunta) the Order of the White Rose of Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on It features a blue Nordic cross on a white background. Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated Blue represents lakes and the sky, and white represents snow and the white nights of the Finnish summer. The state flag has a coat of arms in the centre, but is otherwise identical to the civil flag. The Coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field the right forepaw replaced with an armoured hand brandishing a sword trampling on a saber with the hindpaws The swallow-tailed state flag is used by the military. The presidential standard is identical to the swallow-tailed state flag but also has in its upper left corner the Cross of Liberty after the Order of the Cross of Liberty, which has the President of Finland as its Grand Master. There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty ( Vapaudenristin ritarikunta) the Order of the White Rose of Finland Like Sweden's, Finland's national flag is based on the Scandinavian cross. It was adopted after independence from Russia, when many patriotic Finns wanted a special flag for their country, but its design dates back to the 19th century. The blue coloring is said to represent the country's thousands of lakes and the sky, with white for the snow that covers the land in winter. This color combination has also been used over the centuries in various Finnish provincial, military, and town flags.

As a coincidence, the flag of Finland is the same as the flag of Shetland with the colours reversed. The flag of Shetland was designed by Roy Grönneberg and Bill Adams in 1969

History

The current blue-crossed design was first used in Finland by Nyländska Jaktklubben, a yacht club founded in Helsinki in 1861. Nyland Yacht Club ( Swedish: Nyländska Jaktklubben, NJK is a Yacht club in Helsinki, Finland. A yacht club is a sports Club specifically related to Sailing and Yachting. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In addition to the blue cross on the white background, the yacht club flag had the crowned arms of the province of Uusimaa within two crossed branches in the upper hoist quarter. This article is about the contemporary region of Finland For other uses of Uusimaa see Uusimaa (disambiguation Uusimaa, or Nyland Except for the position of the cross, the flag was similar to the flag of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, founded the previous year. The design can be traced to the Russian Navy ensign, which has a blue cross saltire on a white background. The Russian Navy or VMF ( Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ России- Voyenno-Morskoy Flot Rossii (VMF or literally Military Maritime An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office St Andrew's Cross redirects here For the item of BDSM furniture see Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross

Shortly after Finland gained independence in 1917, a competition was held for the design of the Finnish flag. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Several different designs were submitted. Regarding the colours, the entries fell mainly into two categories - one using the red and yellow from the Finnish coat of arms, and the other using the present blue and white colours. The Coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field the right forepaw replaced with an armoured hand brandishing a sword trampling on a saber with the hindpaws

One entry had the Dannebrog cross design, but with a yellow cross on a red background. Another entry had diagonal blue and white stripes, but it was criticized as being more suitable for a barber shop than a newly-independent country. A barber (from the Latin barba, " Beard " is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair give shaves, and trim

Legal definition

Size

Under Finnish law, the ratio of the flag is 11:18 (height:width). The swallow-tailed state flag is one unit longer and the tails are five units long. The cusp width of the blue cross is three units of measure. When flown from a flagpole, the flag is recommended to have a width equalling one sixth of the height of the pole.

Usage

The Finnish flag is used in three main variants. The usual national flag is used by all citizens, organizations and Finnish municipalities and regions. ||-||}The municipalities ( kunta in Finnish, kommun in Swedish) represent the local level of administration in Finland and Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) Anyone is allowed to fly the national flag whenever they deem it suitable. ^[1] The rectangular state flag is used by^[2] bodies of the Finnish national and provincial governments (except the police and the district courts), by the Cathedral Chapters of the two national churches (Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox), and non-naval vessels of the state. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (in Finnish Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; in Swedish Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan Structure and organization Along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland the Orthodox Church of Finland has a special position in Finnish law

The swallow-tailed national flag, which is also the naval ensign, is flown by the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Defence Forces is responsible for defence of Finland. The presidential standard and the command signs of the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence, and Commander of the Finnish Navy are flown only by the respective persons.

All public bodies as well as most private citizens and corporations fly the flag on official flag days. By law the Finnish flag must be flown from public buildings on the following days February 28, day of Kalevala; the occasion is also celebrated In addition to the official flag days, there are about ten unofficial but generally observed flag days.

The Finnish flag is raised at 8 AM and lowered at sunset, however not later than 9 PM. On independence day, the flag is flown until 8 PM regardless of the dark. On the occasion of great national tragedies, the ministry of interior may recommend flying the flag at half mast throughout the country. Half-staff or half-mast describes a Flag flying approximately halfway up a flagpole or ship's mast (though anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of the way up is acceptable

As a Finnish peculiarity, the flag is Flown at Midsummer from 6 PM of Midsummer eve until 9 PM of Midsummer's day. Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice This is done to symbolize the fact that the darkness does not come to any part of Finland during Midsummer's Night. Midsummer is also celebrated as the day of the Finnish flag. ^[3]

Colours

The colours are defined in both CIE 1931 and CIE 1976 standards, Swedish standard SS 01 91 22 and by the Pantone Matching system:

Red and yellow are used in the coat of arms that appears on the state flag.

Other rules

By Finnish law it is forbidden to deface the flag or to use it in a disrespectful way. It is also illegal to remove a flag from the pole without permission. Anyone who breaks these regulations may be fined for disgracing the flag.

Finnish law also forbids the use of the presidential standard or state flag without permission, as well as the addition of any extra symbols to the flag. One may not sell a flag which has different colours or geometry than defined by the law. These are considered violations of the flag regulations and can lead to a fine.

There are also common rules on how to treat the flag respectfully. The flag must not be dirty or damaged. The flag must never touch the ground. When the flag is washed, it must be dried indoors. A worn-out flag must be disposed of by burning (though not with the intent to disgrace it), or alternatively by cutting it to pieces small enough not to be recognizable as parts of the flag. The flag must not be buried in the ground or the sea (including not throwing it into the garbage).

Yachting club ensigns

The Finnish yacht club flag design; The circled X is replaced with the club emblem; Flag ratio: 11:18

A Finnish specialty is that any yachting club registered in Finland may apply to have a flag with the club emblem officially approved for use on yachts. Yachting is an activity involving boats It may be racing Sailing boats cruising to distant shores or day-sailing along a coast Such an ensign will be the civil ensign with a white cross, 3/5 of a unit wide, superimposed on the blue cross and with the club emblem in the upper hoist corner. Most yachting clubs distribute these ensigns to their members, and they are much used, but their use is not recommended outside Finnish waters to avoid confusion. Officially, however, the yachting club ensign is valid even for international use. ^[4]

See also

• Nordic Cross Flag
• Flag days in Finland
• Holidays in Finland
• National anthem of Finland

References

1. ^ Laki Suomen lipusta (380/1978). Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated By law the Finnish flag must be flown from public buildings on the following days February 28, day of Kalevala; the occasion is also celebrated All official Holidays in Finland are established by acts of Parliament. Our Land, Maamme ( Finnish) or Vårt land ( Swedish) is the title of Finland 's National anthem. 4 §. Retrieved 10-3-2007. {{fi}
2. ^ Laki Suomen lipusta (380/1978). 5 §. Retrieved 10-3-2007. {{fi}
3. ^ Asetus Suomen lipusta (383/1978). 3–4 §. Retrieved 10-3-2007. {{fi}
4. ^ Laki Suomen lipusta (380/1978). 4. 2 §. Retrieved 10-3-2007. {{fi}

External links

• Finland Ministry of the Interior: The Flag and Arms of Finland
• Finland at Flags of the World