Norway Flag

The flag of Norway is a tricolor of red, blue and white. The blue part is designed as an indigo blue Scandinavian cross. The cross is fimbriated in white which runs to the edges of the flag. The background of the flag is red in color. The vertical part of the cross is towards the hoist side. The flag is in the proportion of 16:22 while the colors are in the proportions of 6:1:2:1:12. The flag of Norway was officially adopted in July 1821 and is often referred to as The National Flag of Norway.

The National flag of Norway tricolor of blue, red, and white denotes the country’s liberty and independence. The concept was borrowed from the colors of the French, American, and British flags. The blue cross represents Norway’s union with Sweden and its past association with Denmark. The cross is also a symbol associated with Christianity and is common in most Nordic countries. The cross divides the flag into four parts with the white color bordering the blue cross.

The design of the flag of Norway borrows a lot from the design of the flags of other Scandinavian countries. The current flag was created as a response to the proposal by the national assembly to get a distinctive Norwegian flag design. On May 4, 1821, many design proposals were submitted to Norway's parliament. The selected flag design was the work of a member of parliament named Fredrik Meltzer. The design was red, blue, and white. Meltzer did not provide a written explanation of the choice of the colors and design.

From the 16th century, Norway used the same flag design as Denmark. It was a white cross with a red border. The first distinctive Norwegian national flag was designed on February 27, 1814, by Christian Fredrick who was the crown prince at that time. The flag served as a sign of opposition to the Swedish rule. The design was the red Danish flag with a white cross. In the upper hoist, there was a coat of arms consisting of a golden-crowned lion holding an axe. This flag was used until 1815 as a state and war flag. It was later used as a merchant flag until 1821. The current flag was adopted in 1821.