Last modified: 2003-08-09 by dov gutterman
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![[Flag of Greenland]](../images/g/gl.gif)
by Antonio Martins, 31 December 1999
Official Name: Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat)
Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)
Location: Northern North America. Island between
the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean
Government Type: Self-governing overseas
administrative division of the Kingdom of Denmark
Flag adopted: 21
June 1985
Designer: Thue Christiansen
Coat of arms adopted: 1 May 1989
ISO Code: GL
See also:
The flag of Greenland, or Kalaallit Nunaat, celebrated its 10 anniversary in June 10, 1995. For this occasion, the Greenland Post Office, issued some stamps and a brochure explaining the flag. The text in the brochure is written by Thue Christiansen, the flag's designer. Christiansen makes some remarks about the natural features of Greenland, and then goes on to account for the symbolism of the flag:
"the large white part in the flag symbolises the ice cap and our fjords are represented by the red part in the circle. The white part of the circle symbolises the ice bergs and the pack ice, and the large red part in the flag represents the ocean."
In other interpretations the circle is seen as representing
the rising and setting sun.
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
As for the design, the following specifications are given in the brochure (mentioned above):
"The flag is 12 parts by 18, the white and red stripe are both 6 parts. The centre of the circle is set 7 parts from the hoist along the dividing line between the white and red, the radius being 4 parts. The upper part of the circle is red, the lower white."
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
The flag is called Erfalasorput (meaning 'our flag'), but is also called Aappalaaroq - 'the red'. This term also used to be applied to the Danish flag. In Thue Christiansen's words:
"The colours are the same as 'Dannebrog' (the Danish national flag) and thus we can also continue to call our flag Aappalaartoq, 'the red'."
This was probably the reason why the design won over the
proposed green and white Scandinavian cross design.
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
The first serious proposal for a Greenland flag came in 1973
when five people suggested that green-white-blue flag might be
appropriate.
This inspired other people to put forward their own designs, and
in 1974 a Greenland paper published 11 proposals. All except one
was a Scandinavian cross design. However, in a vote organized by
the paper, Dannebrog was still the most favoured flag.
The Home Rule government organized a design contest in 1980. 555
proposals were sent in, 293 of them from Greenland. The
Government was unable to agree on a design, and later invited
artists to submit more designs. In the final decision, the red
and white flag with the circle won over the green and white flag
proposed by Achen (by 14 votes to 11).
Several people were dissatisfied with the decision not to adopt a
Scandinavian cross flag. However, the flag now seems to have been
accepted and appreciated.
Jan Oskar Engene, 10 March 1996
![[Arms of Greenland]](../images/g/gl).gif)
from <www.gh.gl>,
located by Dov Gutterman, 8 December 1998
The coat of arms of Greenland - in the Greenlandic version.
The version in the royal arms and flag follows the heraldic
tradition in raising the right forepaw, while the Greenlandic
version raises the left forepaw, because real polar bears are
left-handed. The blazon does not specify which forepaw is raised,
so there is no conflict between the two versions.
Ole Andersen, 8 January 2001
Blazon of the Greenland CoA: Azure a polar bear sejant
erect proper.
Joe McMillan, 26 November 2001
If you want to read a detailed account of the flag of
Greenland, this is the article to look for:
Inge Kleivan: 'The creation of
Greenland's new national symbol: the flag', in: Folk: Journal
of the Danish Ethnographic Society, Vol. 30, 1988, pp. 32-56
(published annually in Copenhagen) .
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
There ia a story about the origin of Greenland's name. The
first settler in Greenland, Erik the Red, is reported in old
Icelandic sagas to have named the new country Greenland to
attract other settlers there. Some historians, anyway, have
claimed that due to climatical changes, weather in Greenland in
the Middle Ages might have been much warmer than nowadays.
Ivan Sache, 3 September 2001
When Norwegian whalers settled on the east coast of Greenland
80-100 years ago, didn't they first call it New Sunnmore and
adopted a flag inspired by the Norwegian flag?
from the message board, 30 January 2000
"Eirik Raudes land," was the name given to Norwegian
occupied East Greenland (occupation was made formal by the
Norwegian government in 1931 shortly after the land was taken in
possession for Norway by private persons). No flag was adopted.
The case was brought to the International Court of Justice which
ruled in favour of Denmark. The Norwegian government accepted
this decision and the governor went home.
Jan Oskar Engene, 31 January 2000
From BBC News:
A government vowing to press for greater independence from
Denmark has been formed in Greenland, following elections last
week.
The two governing parties are the left-leaning Siumut party and
Inuit Atagatigiit (Inuit Brotherhood) who between them hold 18
out of 31 seats in the parliament.
Greenland has been semi-autonomous since 1979, but Denmark
remains in charge of foreign and defence policy for the 56,000
islanders.
The new government has adopted a 26-point programme, which
pledges to push for greater autonomy in foreign affairs, and to
hold a referendum on full independence in 2005.
Jan Zrzavy, 9 December 2002