Flag of Svalbard and Jan Mayen
This is the flag of Norway, used for both Svalbard and Jan Mayen: a blue Nordic cross edged in white on a red field.
What the flag means
Norway's 1898 Flag Law gives the colours as deep red, dark blue and white but does not explain them. The designer, Fredrik Meltzer, gave no reason in writing.
History
Svalbard and Jan Mayen is a grouping in the ISO 3166 standard; the two are not administered together, and neither has its own flag. The Svalbard Treaty of 9 February 1920 recognised Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard, and the Svalbard Act of 1925 made it a full part of the kingdom. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute annexed Jan Mayen in 1922, and it became part of Norway on 27 February 1930.
A flag for Svalbard was proposed in 1930: the lion from the Norwegian arms on a blue and white vair pattern. It was never adopted.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Wikipedia: Svalbard
- Wikipedia: Flag of Norway
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
