Flag of Faroe Islands
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Tórshavn
- Flag adopted
- 1948
- Population
- 54,885
- Area
- 1,393 km²
- Languages
- Danish, Faroese
- Currency
- Danish krone (kr) — DKK, Faroese króna (kr) — FOK
- Demonym
- Faroese
- Government
- parliamentary democracy
- Subregion
- Northern Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+00:00
Religions
- Christian 87%
- Unspecified 8.9%
- None 3.7%
- Other 0.9%
Faroe Islands is a dependent territory of Denmark.
About This Flag
The flag of the Faroe Islands, called Merkið ("the banner"), is a white field charged with an off-center red Nordic cross outlined in blue. Like other Nordic cross flags, the vertical arm is shifted toward the hoist.
Designed in 1919 by three Faroese students — Jens Oliver Lisberg, Janus Øssursson, and Pauli Dahl — while they were studying in Copenhagen, the flag was first raised in the village of Fámjin. It was formally recognized for Faroese use by the British occupying forces on April 25, 1940, and officially adopted by the Faroese government when Home Rule took effect in 1948.
What the colors & design mean
White represents the foam of the ocean waves and the clear sky of the islands. Red and blue are traditional colors used in Faroese folk dress and, together with white, place the flag in the Nordic cross family alongside those of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.
Pattern: Cross Design
Fun Facts
- Flag Day (Flaggdagur) is celebrated every April 25, commemorating the day in 1940 that British forces — who had occupied the islands to prevent a Nazi invasion — authorized Merkið in place of the Danish Dannebrog.
- The original 1919 flag is preserved in the church of Fámjin on the island of Suðuroy, where one of its designers, Jens Oliver Lisberg, is buried.
- Before 1940, public display of Merkið was discouraged by Danish authorities; wartime occupation gave Faroese nationalists the opening to establish it in daily use.
- Merkið flies independently of Denmark's flag on Faroese government buildings, a privilege won through Home Rule in 1948.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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