Flag of Sweden

Kingdom of Sweden
Use	Civil and state flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion	5:8
Adopted	22 June 1906
Design	A blue field charged with a yellow Nordic cross that extends to the edges; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. Dimensions: 5:2:9 horizontally and 4:2:4 vertically.
Military flag
Use	War flag and naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	Dates back to the mid-17th century. Described in law on 6 November 1663. Current design: 22 June 1906
Design	Blue with a yellow Nordic cross that extends to the edges of the flag. Overall ratio, including the tails, is 1:2

The national flag of Sweden (Sveriges flagga) consists of a yellow or gold Nordic cross (i.e. a horizontal cross extending to the edges, with the crossbar closer to the hoist than the fly) on a field of light blue. The Nordic cross design traditionally represents Christianity.^[2]^[3] The design and colours of the Swedish flag are believed to have been inspired by the present coat of arms of Sweden of 1442, which is blue divided quarterly by a cross pattée of gold. Blue and yellow have been used as Swedish colours at least since Magnus III's royal coat of arms of 1275.

^ Cite error: The named reference plakat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Jeroen Temperman (2010). State Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-9004181489. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2007. Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christianity, on their national flag. Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity.
^ Carol A. Foley (1996). The Australian Flag: Colonial Relic or Contemporary Icon. William Gaunt & Sons. ISBN 9781862871885. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2007. The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags.

[plakat-1] Cite error: The named reference plakat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Jeroen_Temperman-2] Jeroen Temperman (2010). State Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-9004181489. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2007. Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christianity, on their national flag. Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity.

[Carol_A._Foley-3] Carol A. Foley (1996). The Australian Flag: Colonial Relic or Contemporary Icon. William Gaunt & Sons. ISBN 9781862871885. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2007. The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags.

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