Flag of Finland Sweden

The unofficial flag of Finland-Sweden

The unofficial flag of the Finland-Swedes ( Swedish : Finlandssvenska flaggan ; Finnish : Suomenruotsalaisten lippu ) is a symbol of the Finland-Swedes , the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland . However, it is little known and is rarely used.

description

Coat of arms of Finland

The flag of Finland Sweden is a Scandinavian cross flag with a yellow cross on a red background, the colors of the Finnish national coat of arms and former Swedish coat of arms colors for Finland when the country was still under Swedish rule. The colors can still be seen in the coat of arms of the Finnish landscape Varsinais-Suomi (Swedish: Egentliga Finland ; German : “Finland proper”). The cross represents unity with the other Nordic countries , especially Sweden.

There are no official specifications from the Finnish government for a uniform width ratio for the cross, but a width that is at least the same as the flag of Sweden (5: 2: 9 horizontally and 4: 2: 4 vertically) and at most the flag of Finland (5: 3: 11 horizontal and 4: 3: 4 vertical). The width ratio 4: 2: 7 horizontally and 3: 2: 3 vertically was chosen for the above image.

A yellow Scandinavian cross on a red background also carries the flag of Skåne . The flag of the Finland-Swedes, however, has a wider cross and the red fields in the leech , in contrast to the Scandinavian flag, are not square.

history

Advertising stamp from 1922, issued by the Swedish People's Party

The flag is based on a proposal as a commercial flag and was introduced by the Senate Flag Committee in 1917. The design featured nine white roses in the upper left corner and was one of the candidates for the flag of Finland when the country declared itself independent in 1917. The current Finnish national flag was officially introduced on May 28, 1918.

The fact that the flag of the Finland-Swedes is relatively unknown, as it is also not often used, became apparent in June 1999 when a flag for the Swedish-speaking minority was demanded at a congress of the Finnish Swedish People's Party and a flag with a red cross on a yellow background was proposed. The result was that there were several indications from citizens that a flag of the Finland-Swedes already existed.

In today's treaties, which concern the Finland-Swedes, it is stipulated that in addition to the Finnish flag, the flag of the Finland-Swedes can be used to represent the minority, albeit unofficially.

“Homeowners” stand in Swedish-speaking areas of Finland

While the flag of the Finland-Swedes is relatively unknown, the "home owner" - stander (Swedish: husbondsvimplar ; Finnish: isännänviirit ) , which is common in Finland , is all the more popular in Swedish-speaking areas, especially in rural areas. It shows the presence of the host and is in the colors of the respective landscape . In the bilingual landscapes of Österbotten , Uusimaa and Varsinais-Suomi , the Finnish Swedes each use their own stander.