Flag of Åland Islands

What the flag means

The design resembles the Swedish flag, with a red cross added to stand for Finland. The exact shades of blue, yellow and red are fixed by a 2004 regional regulation using NCS colour codes.

History

After Finland became independent in 1917, many Ålanders wanted to rejoin Sweden. The League of Nations instead gave the islands autonomy under Finnish sovereignty. An unofficial blue and yellow flag used from the early 1920s was banned by the Finnish government in 1935. Legislation in 1952 gave Åland the right to a flag of its own. President Juho Kusti Paasikivi rejected a first proposal that looked like the Swedish flag, and the red cross was added. The flag was first hoisted in Mariehamn on 3 April 1954.

The last Sunday of April is Åland's official flag day.

Earlier flags of Åland Islands

1. 1920s–1935Unofficial blue and yellow flag, banned by the Finnish government in 1935