Flag of Greenland
North America
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Nuuk
- Flag adopted
- 1985
- Population
- 56,542
- Area
- 2,166,086 km²
- Languages
- Greenlandic
- Currency
- krone (kr.) — DKK
- Demonym
- Greenlandic
- Government
- parliamentary democracy
- Subregion
- North America
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC-04:00, UTC-03:00 +2 more
Greenland is a dependent territory of Denmark.
About This Flag
The flag of Greenland, called Erfalasorput ("our flag"), features two equal horizontal bands — white on top and red below — with a large counter-shaded disc positioned slightly to the hoist side of center. The top half of the disc is red and sits on the white band; the bottom half is white and sits on the red band.
Designed by Greenlandic artist Thue Christiansen, it was chosen from among 555 submissions and adopted on June 21, 1985, the sixth anniversary of Greenland Home Rule, after being passed by the Landsting by a single vote (14–11).
What the colors & design mean
The white band represents Greenland's ice cap and glaciers. The red band represents the sea and the midnight sun of summer. The disc evokes the sun setting into the ocean, a familiar sight in Arctic summers, and the red-and-white color scheme ties Greenland visually to the Nordic flag family and to Denmark.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes, Complex Design
Fun Facts
- Greenland is the only Nordic territory whose flag does not use a Scandinavian cross — a deliberate break from the pattern to emphasize Greenlandic identity.
- Flag Day is celebrated on June 21, coinciding with the summer solstice and the anniversary of Home Rule.
- The winning design beat a competing proposal for a green-and-white Nordic cross by a single vote in the Landsting.
- Thue Christiansen, the flag's designer, was a teacher and member of the Greenlandic parliament when he submitted the design.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
Other Denmark Territories
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🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda · 🇧🇸 Bahamas · 🇧🇧 Barbados · 🇧🇿 Belize · 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇨🇷 Costa Rica · 🇨🇺 Cuba · 🇩🇲 Dominica
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