Flag of Norway

Country

Flag of Norway uses red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white. Ratio 8:11, current adoption July 13, 1821 and design credited to Fredrik Meltzer.

Hoist Ratio 8:11 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Norway
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Kingdom of Norway
Identifier	NO / NOR
Region	Northern Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	July 13, 1821
First Documented Use	1821
Proportion	8:11
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Red, White, Blue
Designer	Fredrik Meltzer
Construction	Red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Red	#BA0C2F	186, 12, 47	0, 94, 75, 27
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Blue	#00205B	0, 32, 91	100, 65, 0, 64

Design and Symbolism

Red	the field, from the Danish flag.
White	the fimbriation, from the Danish flag.
Blue	the cross, from the Swedish and French flags.
Nordic cross	Christianity and the shared Nordic identity.
Colours	Red and white from Denmark, blue added for liberty in the spirit of the French and American flags.

Proportions

Ratio	8:11
Hoist	8 units
Fly	11 units

About the Flag of Norway

Red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white The recorded proportion is 8:11. Within this library it is grouped with nordic cross designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Norway is Red (#BA0C2F), White (#FFFFFF) and Blue (#00205B). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Nordic cross: Christianity and the shared Nordic identity; Colours: Red and white from Denmark, blue added for liberty in the spirit of the French and American flags.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1821. The adoption field for the present record is July 13, 1821. The designer is recorded as Fredrik Meltzer.

Additional flag context

The design adds a blue cross to the Danish red and white, giving Norway all three colours associated with liberty at the time it was designed in 1821.

The flag was not permitted to be flown freely at sea until 1898, after decades of political argument about the union with Sweden.

Norway's state flag is swallow-tailed and is used by government bodies; the rectangular version is the civil flag.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white, a 8:11 proportion and the visible nordic cross. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Norway — Specialist vexillological reference

Other nordic cross flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Norway

Norway is recorded as red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white.
The reference proportion for the flag of Norway is 8:11.
The stored palette for Norway contains Red, White and Blue.
The adoption field for this country flag record is July 13, 1821.
The design record traces first use to 1821.
Fredrik Meltzer is credited in the dataset as the designer of the flag.
Its construction is grouped with the nordic cross design family in this library.
Nordic cross: Christianity and the shared Nordic identity.
Colours: Red and white from Denmark, blue added for liberty in the spirit of the French and American flags.
The design adds a blue cross to the Danish red and white, giving Norway all three colours associated with liberty at the time it was designed in 1821.
The flag was not permitted to be flown freely at sea until 1898, after decades of political argument about the union with Sweden.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Norway

What does the flag of Norway look like?

Red field with a blue Nordic cross fimbriated white, with a recorded proportion of 8:11.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Norway?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 8:11.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Norway?

The reference palette lists Red #BA0C2F, White #FFFFFF and Blue #00205B.

What do the symbols on the flag of Norway represent?

Nordic cross — Christianity and the shared Nordic identity. Colours — Red and white from Denmark, blue added for liberty in the spirit of the French and American flags.

When was the present flag record for Norway adopted?

The adoption field in this record is July 13, 1821.

Who designed the flag of Norway?

The designer is recorded as Fredrik Meltzer.

Which design family does the flag of Norway belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with nordic cross designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.