The flag of the Faroe Islands (in Faroese: ''Merkið'' ) is an offset cross, representing

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. It is similar in design to other Nordic flags – a tradition set by the '' Dannebrog'' of Denmark, of which the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

are an autonomous territory.* The flag is called ''Merkið'', which means "the banner" or "the mark". It resembles the flags of neighbouring

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

and

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Description and symbolism

The design of the flag incorporates a red Nordic cross, which is offset to the left. The red cross is fimbriated azure and is set on a white field. The flag design closely resembles that of the Norwegian flag, with the fimbriated cross and the same proportions, 6-1-2-1-6 and 6-1-2-1-12. White symbolises the foam of the sea and the pure, radiant sky of the Faroe Islands, while the old Faroese blue and red colours are reminiscent of other Scandinavian and Nordic flags, representing the Faroe Islands' bonds with other Nordic countries.Smith/Neubecker: Wappen und Flaggen aller Nationen. München 1981;

Colours

The specific colours of the flag are defined in a 1959 law.

History

The modern Faroese flag was devised in 1919 by Jens Oliver Lisberg and others while they were studying in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. The first time Merkið was raised in the

was on 22 June that year in

Fámjin Fámjin () is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. Name Tradition says that Fámjin used to be called Vesturvi ...

on the occasion of a wedding. On 25 April 1940, the British occupation government approved the flag for use by Faroese vessels, during the tenure of Carl Aage Hilbert as Danish prefect. Britain did not want the same flag as German-occupied Denmark to be used. April 25 is still celebrated as ''Flaggdagur'', and it is a national holiday. With the Home Rule Act of 23 March, 1948, the flag was recognized by the Danish Government as the national flag of the Faroes. The original flag is displayed in the church of

Suðuroy Suðuroy (pronounced: �suːwʊrɔior �suːri ‘South Island’, ) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region ( sýsla) comprise ...

Notes

References

*
Learn about the Flag of Faroe islands
on Faroeisland.fo {{Authority control 1940 establishments in the Faroe Islands

National symbols of the Faroe Islands

Faroe

Flags with blue, red and white

Description and symbolism

Colours

History

See also

Notes

References