Flag of Iceland
Locally Ísland
What the flag looks like
A blue field with a red Nordic cross outlined in white, its vertical arm shifted towards the hoist.
What it means
Red is for volcanic fire, white for ice and snow, and blue for the mountains and surrounding sea.
How to remember it
Fire inside ice on a blue sea: Iceland's
red cross edged in white on blue is Norway's
flag with the red and blue swapped.
Fun facts
- The flag was first recognized by Denmark in 1915 and became the flag of the republic in 1944.
- Iceland's parliament, the Althing, was founded in 930 and is one of the oldest in the world.
Iceland at a glance
- Capital
- Reykjavik
- Region
- Northern Europe
- Population
- 386,506
- Area
- 103,000 km²
- Languages
- Icelandic
- Currency
- Icelandic króna (kr)
- Flag adopted
- 1944
Flags often confused with Iceland
- Norway: Iceland and Norway share the same off-center Nordic cross with a white border. Iceland is a blue flag with a red cross; Norway is a red flag with a blue cross.