Flag of the Nordic Council
The Flag of the Nordic Council is blue (PMS 300 U), with a stylised circular motif of a white swan. The swan symbol was chosen to represent the Nordic Council, and the Nordic Council of Ministers, in 1984. The Nordic swan symbolises trust, integrity and freedom.[1] It is also designed to symbolise wider Nordic cooperation. The current version was designed by Kontrapunkt in 2016.
Proportion | 4:3 |
---|---|
Adopted | 2016 |
Design | Silhouette of a stylised white swan inside a white circle on a blue field |
Designed by | Kontrapunkt |
Variant flag of Nordic Cooperation | |
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 1984 |
Design | Silhouette of a stylised white swan against a blue disc on a white field |
Designed by | Kyösti Varis |
Before 2016, the flag was white, with a stylised circular motif of a white swan upon a blue (Pantone Reflex Blue C) disk. The Swan had enough wing feathers standing for the eight members and territories of the Council: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The flag was designed by Kyösti Varis, an artist from Finland.
All members of the Council except for Greenland use a Nordic Cross Flag. The Nordic Cross was also used in the flag of the Kalmar Union. The Kalmar Union was the only time when all Nordic countries were under a single state–hence it has traditionally been a sign of unity before the Nordic Council adopted the swan flag.
External links
- Logo section for Design Manual of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Council.
- www.crwflags.com, Nordic Council, Flags of the World
- www.norden.org Nordic Council
- The history of the Swan symbol, the logo of the Nordic Co-operation