The Nordic Cross: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland

Five countries, one design tradition. The Nordic cross explained — history, meaning, and how to tell them apart.

The Nordic cross appears on the flags of five Scandinavian nations: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. In each flag, the cross is positioned slightly left of centre — offset toward the hoist — a design said to have originated with the Danish Dannebrog in the 13th century. The Dannebrog is the world's oldest national flag still in use. Each country has adapted the cross with its own colour scheme: Denmark's white cross on red, Sweden's yellow on blue, Norway's red and white cross on blue, Finland's blue on white, and Iceland's red cross on blue and white.