Iceland flag .... and a very small Great Black-backed Gull!
The flag of Iceland is royal blue with an off-centre red cross outlined in white. The flag's cross is perpendicular and runs from top to bottom and left to right. The intersection of the cross is slightly to the left of centre.
Each of the colours of the flag of Iceland represents a major feature of the nation's geography. The blue represents the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the country, the red depicts the fires of the nation's volcanoes and white shows the snow that covers much of Iceland.
Designed by Matthias Thordarson, the flag of Iceland's design of the cross was borrowed from the flag of Denmark known as the Dannebrog. The cross is a symbol of Christianity and is also found in the flags of other Scandinavian nations.
The flag of Iceland had been used as an unofficial symbol since 1913 but was not officially adopted until 1915. However, it was initially met with disapproval from the King of Iceland who refused to accept the blue-white-red combination as the national flag. On 19th June 1915 a royal decree allowed the usage of the flag on land and on 30th November 1918 the King of Iceland finally approved of the flag as the national ensign.
When Iceland became a republic on 17th June 1944, the current flag was sealed into law as the official flag of the Republic of Iceland.
Date: 6th June 2015
Location: Stykkishólmur harbour, Snæfellsnes peninsula, west Iceland
Each of the colours of the flag of Iceland represents a major feature of the nation's geography. The blue represents the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the country, the red depicts the fires of the nation's volcanoes and white shows the snow that covers much of Iceland.
Designed by Matthias Thordarson, the flag of Iceland's design of the cross was borrowed from the flag of Denmark known as the Dannebrog. The cross is a symbol of Christianity and is also found in the flags of other Scandinavian nations.
The flag of Iceland had been used as an unofficial symbol since 1913 but was not officially adopted until 1915. However, it was initially met with disapproval from the King of Iceland who refused to accept the blue-white-red combination as the national flag. On 19th June 1915 a royal decree allowed the usage of the flag on land and on 30th November 1918 the King of Iceland finally approved of the flag as the national ensign.
When Iceland became a republic on 17th June 1944, the current flag was sealed into law as the official flag of the Republic of Iceland.
Date: 6th June 2015
Location: Stykkishólmur harbour, Snæfellsnes peninsula, west Iceland
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Also in: Snæfellsnes peninsula
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