Sweden

Sverige, Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden)

Last modified: 2003-04-19 by sean mckinniss
Keywords: sweden | sverige | cross | scandinavian cross | europe | european union | cross (yellow) | cross: scandinavian (yellow) |
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by Edward Mooney, Jr., 1998-Jul-20
Flag dating from 16th Century,
officially re-adopted 22 June 1906.

Smaller state arms dating from 14th Century,
greater state arms developed since 15th Century, present design adopted in 1844,
both confirmed in act of law 15 May 1908.

• About the flag
• Coat of Arms
  • Three crowns of Sweden
• Colours of the flag
• Dimensions of the flag
• Historical flags
• Royal flag
• Military flags
  • Naval Jack
  • Rank flags
• Police flag
• Rules for folding and flying the flag
• Swedish flag days
• Swedish flag hymn
• Swedish pennant (for use on flagpoles on land)

• Regional flags
  • Swedish speaking population in Finland
• Political parties
• Religious flags
• University flags
• Swedish Shipping Companies' House Flags
• Flags of Cultural and Sporting Associations

• Clickable map of Sweden (landskap/provinces) (historical provinces)
• Clickable map of Sweden (län/counties) (modern administrative areas)

• Ethnic/Cultural Minorities in Sweden
  • Sami People
  • Tornedalian People
  • Travellers (resandefolket)

• General Scandinavian flags
• Related sites

General Scandinavian flags:

• Dano-Swedish Icebreaking Service flag
• Nordic Council
• Norden

Related sites:

• Stiftelsen Sveriges Nationaldag

There is a leaflet issued by Swedish Institute (SI) regarding the state symbols that include some interesting info at this government site. Quotes from that leaflet:

The exact age of the Swedish Flag is not known, but the oldest recorded pictures of a blue cloth with a yellow cross date from the 16th century. As decreed in a royal warrant of 1569, the yellow cross was al-ways to be borne on Swedish battle stand-ards and banners, as the Swedish Coat of Arms was blue divided quarterly by a cross of gold. The design of the Swedish flag is probably taken from the Danish flag, and its blue and yellow colours possibly come from the Coat of Arms. Not until the 1620s—i.e., during the reign of Gustav II Adolf—do we find any reliable evidence of the blue flag with a yellow cross being car-ried by Swedish vessels. According to our oldest existing flag warrant, from 1663, a triple-tailed flag was to be used except by merchant ships, whose flag was square-cut.

Zeljko Heimer, 10 March 2003

The dimensions of the Swedish flag are 5:2:9 horizontally and 4:2:4 vertically.

The dimensions of the Swedish flag with a swallow-tail are 5:2:5:8 horizontally and 4:2:4 vertically.

Mark Sensen, 1995-Sep-25
James Dignan, 1995-Sep-26

Cf proportions of the flags of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands (Denmark) and the cross flag of Scania (Sweden)