Flag of Greenland
Erfalasorput ("our flag")
Greenland's flag is white on top and red below, with a circle set toward the flagpole that is red on top and white below.
At a glance
- Adopted
- June 21, 1985
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Nuuk
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- white
- red
What it means
- White stripe: the ice cap and glaciers that cover most of the island
- Red stripe: the ocean
- Red half-circle: the sun, half sunk below the horizon; the designer also linked red to the fjords
- White half-circle: icebergs and pack ice
- Red and white together: the same colours as Denmark's flag, showing Greenland's place in the Danish realm
Where it came from
Greenland is a huge Arctic island that is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1980 a design contest drew 555 proposals.
The committee could not agree at first. In the end a design by the Greenlandic politician Thue Christiansen narrowly won over a green and white cross design, by 14 votes to 11, and it was adopted on 21 June 1985.
History
Before 1985 Greenland had no flag of its own and used the Danish flag. The first serious proposals came in the 1970s, and almost all of them used a Nordic cross like the other Nordic flags.
Christiansen's design broke that pattern. Greenlanders often fly it next to the Danish flag.
Fun facts
- It is the only flag of a Nordic country or territory that has no Nordic cross.
- In 1985 people noticed it had the same design as the flag of a Danish rowing club. Nobody is sure whether this was a coincidence, but the club gave permission for it to be used.
- The name Aappalaartoq, "the red", is used for both Greenland's flag and Denmark's flag.
Easy to mix up with
Japan
PolandQuestions
What does the flag of Greenland look like?
Greenland's flag is white on top and red below, with a circle set toward the flagpole that is red on top and white below.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Greenland mean?
White stripe: the ice cap and glaciers that cover most of the island; Red stripe: the ocean; Red half-circle: the sun, half sunk below the horizon; the designer also linked red to the fjords; White half-circle: icebergs and pack ice; Red and white together: the same colours as Denmark's flag, showing Greenland's place in the Danish realm.
When was the flag of Greenland adopted?
The current flag of Greenland was adopted on June 21, 1985.
What colours are on the flag of Greenland?
The flag of Greenland uses white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Greenland?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Japan. Japan also has a red circle on white, but the circle is centred and the flag has no red half
Famous landmarks in Greenland
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)