Flag of Greenland
The "Erfalasorput"
Official Palette
Symbolism
Greenland's flag, Erfalasorput ('our flag' in Greenlandic), uses red and white to echo Denmark's colours while avoiding the Nordic cross, signalling Greenlandic home rule. The two halves of the disc mirror each other: ice and sun, land and sea, winter darkness and the return of summer light.
History
After Greenland gained home rule in 1979, locals wanted a distinct symbol. A public competition drew 555 proposals; Thue Christiansen's design won. The flag was hoisted for the first time on 21 June 1985 — midsummer — which became Greenland's National Day. It replaced the former colonial coat-of-arms flag and is one of the few Nordic-region flags without a Scandinavian cross.
Construction
The flag has a 2:3 aspect ratio. Two equal horizontal stripes, white over red, with a counter-changed disc slightly offset toward the hoist: the upper half of the disc is red on the white stripe, the lower half white on the red stripe.
Color Meanings
Country Facts
- Population
- 56K
<0.1% of North America
- Capital
- Nuuk
- Languages
- Greenlandic, Danish
- Continent
- North America
- Landlocked
- No
- ISO 3166-1
- GL
Flag Identification
- Adopted
- June 21, 1985
- Designer
- Thue Christiansen
- Proportions
2:3 (≈1.500)
- Primary Layout
- Horizontal bands
Influences
Did you know
Greenland's flag was chosen from 555 designs and deliberately omits the Nordic cross used by Denmark and Iceland.
Flags with resemblance
Visually close designs — compare colors and emblems, or try similarities mode.
Flag Protocol
- Flown nationwide on Greenland National Day (21 June, the summer solstice)
- The disc is shifted toward the hoist so it remains visible when the flag hangs limp
- Greenland uses its own flag alongside the Danish flag on official occasions
Practice
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