Flag of Faroe Islands
A white field with a red Nordic cross edged in blue. The Faroese name for the flag is Merkið.
What the flag means
The usual explanation is that white stands for sea foam and the bright sky. Red and blue appear in traditional Faroese dress and are shared with other Nordic flags.
History
Faroese students in Copenhagen, led by Jens Oliver Lisberg with Janus Øssursson and Paul Dahl, designed the flag in 1919. It was first raised at Fámjin on 22 June 1919. After Germany occupied Denmark, British authorities recognised it for Faroese ships on 25 April 1940, to tell them apart from Danish ones. The home-rule settlement of 1948 gave it formal recognition.
25 April, the anniversary of the British recognition, is Flaggdagur (Flag Day).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of the Faroe Islands
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
