Introduction
The flag of the Faroe Islands, called Merkið, the banner, is a Nordic cross: a red cross fimbriated in blue on a white field, with the cross shifted toward the hoist in the usual Nordic way.
Its proportions are unusual for the family, 8:11, and the white field is read as the foam of the sea and the sky over the islands.
Meaning & Symbolism
The three colours are the ones the islands claim as their own: white for the sky and the sea foam, and the red and blue that recur in Faroese dress and in the flowers of the islands. The cross places the Faroes inside the Nordic family alongside Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
History of the Faroe Islands Flag
The design was made in 1919 in Copenhagen by Faroese students led by Jens Oliver Lisberg, and first hoisted in the islands at Fámjin on 22 June 1919.
Recognition came from an unlikely direction. During the British occupation of the Faroes in the Second World War, the British authorities recognised Merkið for use by Faroese vessels on 25 April 1940, to distinguish them from Danish ships in occupied Denmark. That date is still kept as Flaggdagur, Flag Day.
Curiosities
- The flag was recognised not by Denmark but by Britain, in 1940, so that Faroese ships would not be taken for ships of occupied Denmark.
- The original 1919 banner is kept in the church at Fámjin, where it was first raised.
- Its 8:11 proportions are unlike any other Nordic flag.
- Faroese call it simply Merkið, the banner.
- 25 April is a public flag day in the islands, marking the British recognition.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Faroe Islands in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.