Flag of Finland
Colors
#003580
#FFFFFF
Meaning & Symbolism
Blue represents the thousands of lakes and Finnish sky. White symbolizes the snow that covers the country in winter. The Nordic cross shows cultural ties with Scandinavia.
History
Adopted after independence from Russia in 1917. Poet Zacharias Topelius described the colors as "the blue of our lakes and the white snow of our winters" in 1862.
Curiosities
Finland has more than 180,000 lakes, which explains the importance of blue. The flag with the coat of arms is used on government buildings.
