Finland Flag

Flag History

After gaining independence from Sweden, a flag was adopted patterned from the Swedish flag.. Similar flags were introduced by Finish yacht clubs more than half a century earlier, when Finland was under Russian rule. The first yacht club, Nylandska Jaktkluben was established in 1861 in Helsinki and adopted a white flag with a blue cross, with the arms of the country of Nyland in the canton. The other yacht clubs followed suit, adopting the same design with different arms in the conton. The first to propose the blue and white as the national colors of Finland was a poet called Zachris Topelius in 1862.

Flag Date of Adoption

29 May 1918

Flag Symbolism

white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Blue represents the thousands of lakes in Finland and its clear sky. The white stands for the snow that covers the country in the winter.

Finland National Anthem

Listen to National Anthem
Anthem History in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland
Anthem Lyrics

Oi maamme Suomi, synnyinmaa,


soi, sana kultainen!


Ei laaksoa ei kukkulaa,


ei vettä, rantaa rakkaampaa


kuin kotimaa tää pohjoinen,


maa kallis isien.





Sun kukoistukses kuorestaan


keerrankin puhkeaa;


viel' lempemme saa nousemaan,


sun toivos, riemus loistossaan,


ja kerran laulus, synnyinmaa,


korkeemman kaiun saa.



VÅRT LAND  (Swedish Version)



Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland,



ljud högt, o dyra ord!



Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand,



ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand



mer älskad än vår bygd i nord,



än våra fäders jord.



Din blomning, sluten än i knopp,



skall mogna ur sitt tvång;



se, ur vår kärlek skall gå opp



ditt ljus, din glans, din fröjd, ditt hopp



och högra klinga skall en gång



vår fosterländska sång.

Anthem Lyrics English

Our land, our land, our fatherland,


Sound loud, O name of worth!


No mount that meets the heaven's band.


No hidden vale, no wavewashed strand.


Is loved, as is our native North.


Our own forefathers' earth.





Thy blossom, in the bud laid low,


Yet ripened shall upspring.


See! From our love once more shall grow


Thy light, thy joy, thy hope, thy glow!


And clearer yet one day shall ring


The song our land shall sing.

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