The ‘Flag of Finland’ (Finnish: ‘Suomen lippu’, Swedish: ‘Finlands flagga’), also called ‘siniristilippu’ (‘Blue Cross Flag), dates from the beginning of the 20th century: on a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity. Finland’s national flag was adopted after independence from Russia, when many patriotic Finns wanted a special flag for their country, but its design dates back to the 19th century: the blue colouring is said to represent the country’s thousands of lakes and the sky, with white for the snow that covers the land in winter.
This colour combination has also been used over the centuries in various Finnish provincial, military, and town flags. The current blue-crossed design was first used in Finland by ‘Nyländska Jaktklubben’, a yacht club founded in Helsinki in 1861: the cross was thinner than in the modern flag, and the proportions were equal. The Finnish flag is used in three main variants: the usual national flag is used by all citizens, organizations, Finnish municipalities and regions. Anyone is allowed to fly the national flag whenever they deem it suitable. The rectangular ‘State flag’ is used by bodies of the Finnish national and provincial governments, by the cathedral chapters of the two national churches (Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox), and non-naval vessels of the state. The swallow-tailed national flag, which is also the naval ensign, is flown by the Finnish Defence Forces.
Read more on Wikipedia
