Flag of Norway
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Oslo
- Flag adopted
- 1821
- Population
- 5,606,944
- Area
- 386,224 km²
- Languages
- Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål, Sami
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (kr) — NOK
- Demonym
- Norwegian
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Subregion
- Northern Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+01:00
- Independence
- 1905
Religions
- Church of Norway 67.5%
- Unspecified 19.9%
- Protestant 3.8%
- Muslim 3.1%
- Roman Catholic 3.1%
- Other 2.6%
About This Flag
The flag of Norway features a red field with a dark blue cross outlined in white, offset toward the hoist in the Scandinavian tradition established by Denmark's Dannebrog. The red, white, and blue colors represent liberty, drawing from the French Tricolore's symbolism, while the cross design affirms Norway's Nordic heritage.
The flag was designed by Fredrik Meltzer, a member of the Norwegian parliament, and was adopted on July 17, 1821, though it was not flown without the Swedish union mark until 1899, after the struggle for a 'pure' Norwegian flag became a political cause. Norway gained full independence from Sweden in 1905.
What the colors & design mean
Red represents the valor and strength of the Norwegian people. White symbolizes peace and honesty. Blue stands for loyalty and justice. The Scandinavian cross affirms Norway's Nordic cultural identity and Christian heritage.
Pattern: Cross Design
Bordering countries (3)
Fun Facts
- The campaign for a 'pure' Norwegian flag without the Swedish union mark in the canton was a major political issue in the late 19th century and became intertwined with the broader movement for Norwegian independence from Sweden.
- Norway's flag cleverly combines the Scandinavian cross tradition with the red-white-blue of the French Tricolore, merging Nordic heritage with Enlightenment ideals of liberty.
- Fredrik Meltzer designed the flag by taking the Danish Dannebrog (white cross on red) and inserting a blue cross within the white cross.
- Norway has one of the longest coastlines in the world (over 100,000 km including fjords and islands), and its flag flies from fishing boats, oil platforms, and ships across the North Atlantic and Arctic.
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