🇸🇪

Flag of Sweden

Europe

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Quick Facts

Capital
Stockholm
Flag adopted
1906
Population
10,605,098
Area
450,295 km²
Languages
Swedish
Currency
Swedish krona (kr) — SEK
Demonym
Swedish
Government
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Subregion
Northern Europe
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+01:00
Independence
1523

Religions

  • Church of Sweden 53.9%
  • None 37.2%
  • Other 8.9%

About This Flag

The flag of Sweden features a blue field with a golden-yellow Nordic cross offset toward the hoist side in the Scandinavian tradition. The blue and yellow colors are derived from the Swedish national coat of arms, which has featured three golden crowns on a blue field since the 14th century.

According to legend, King Eric IX saw a golden cross in the blue sky before a 12th-century crusade to Finland, inspiring the flag's design, though this origin story is likely apocryphal. The cross design follows the Scandinavian model established by Denmark's Dannebrog.

The current proportions were standardized in 1906, though the blue-and-yellow cross flag has been used in some form since the 16th century.

What the colors & design mean

Blue represents loyalty, truth, and the Swedish sky. Yellow (gold) symbolizes generosity, prosperity, and the Swedish people's warmth. The Nordic cross reflects Sweden's Christian heritage and its cultural connection to the other Scandinavian nations.

blue yellow

Pattern: Cross Design

Bordering countries (2)

🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway

Fun Facts

  • Sweden's national coat of arms, three golden crowns on a blue field (Tre Kronor), has been in use since at least the 14th century and directly inspired the flag's blue-and-yellow color scheme.
  • June 6 is Sweden's National Day and officially Swedish Flag Day, commemorating both Gustav Vasa's election as king in 1523 and the adoption of a new constitution in 1809.
  • Sweden was one of the last European countries to formalize its flag's proportions — the current 5:8 ratio for the civil flag was only standardized in 1906.
  • Sweden has not been at war since 1814, maintaining one of the longest continuous periods of peace of any nation and making its flag a symbol of neutrality.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇸🇪 Finland 🇸🇪 Greece

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