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Use | Civil and state flag, civil and state ensign ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Proportion | 5:8 |
Adopted | 22 June 1906 |
Design | A blue field charged with a yellow Nordic cross that extends to the edges; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. Dimensions: 5:2:9 horizontally and 4:2:4 vertically. |
Military flag | |
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Use | War flag and naval ensign ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Adopted | Dates back to the mid-17th century. Described in law on 6 November 1663.[1] Current design: 22 June 1906 |
Design | Blue with a yellow Nordic cross that extends to the edges of the flag. Overall ratio, including the tails, is 1:2 |
The national flag of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges flagga) consists of a yellow or gold Nordic cross (i.e. a horizontal cross extending to the edges, with the crossbar closer to the hoist than the fly) on a field of light blue. The Nordic cross design traditionally represents Christianity.[2][3] The design and colours of the Swedish flag are believed to have been inspired by the present coat of arms of Sweden of 1442, which is blue divided quarterly by a cross pattée of gold. Blue and yellow have been used as Swedish colours at least since Magnus III's royal coat of arms of 1275.
plakat
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christianity, on their national flag. Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity.
The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags.