Civil Flag of the Republic of Iceland (1915)

Significant settlement of Iceland began from the 9th century by people of mainly Norwegian descent. 

From the 14th century Iceland came under rule from Denmark, which lasted until the beginning of the 20th century.

As Iceland’s desire for independence from Denmark gathered momentum in the late 19th and early 20th century, it was realised a national flag was required. 

In 1913, the King of Denmark approved, in principle, the adoption of an Icelandic national flag, this led to the introduction of the current flag design. 

It was officially adopted on the 19th of June 1915. 

The flag remained unchanged when Iceland became a self-governing sovereign state in 1918 and then an independent republic in 1944. 

The Symbolic Meaning

Iceland’s national flag, a reversed version of the Norwegian flag, reflects Iceland’s early ancestral link to Norway. It also incorporates the red and white of Denmark’s national flag.

Blue and white are traditional colours of Iceland.

The cross, common to most Scandinavian flags, symbolises Iceland’s hereditary link to other Scandinavian countries. 

Blue symbolises Iceland's mountains, reaching up to the sky and the sea surrounding the island nation. White represents Iceland’s glaciers and snow, while red symbolises the country’s still active volcanoes and lava flows.