Faroe Islands
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About
The Faroe Islands, also known as the Faroes, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and a rigsdel of the Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the Hebrides and Shetland isles of Scotland, the islands have a population of 54,870 as of November 2025 and a land area of 1,393 km2 (538 sq mi). The official language is Faroese, which is partially mutually intelligible with Icelandic. The terrain is rugged, dominated by fjords and cliffs with sparse vegetation and few trees. As a result of their proximity to the Arctic Circle, the islands experience perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days; nevertheless, they experience a subpolar oceanic climate and mild temperatures year-round due to the Gulf Stream. The capital, Tórshavn, receives the fewest recorded hours of sunshine of any city in the world at only 840 per year.
Read more on Wikipedia →The Flag
History
The flag of the Faroe Islands is a Nordic cross on a white field, with a red cross fimbriated in blue. It is part of the Nordic cross tradition and is commonly interpreted as a Christian symbol.
Design & symbolism
Merkið is a white Nordic cross flag with a red cross outlined in blue. The cross is offset toward the hoist, in the manner typical of Nordic cross flags. The flag’s construction follows the proportional pattern 6:1:2:1:12 horizontally and 6:1:2:1:6 vertically (the same construction used for the flag of Norway). The flag’s proportions are set at 8:11 in the Faroese Flag Act, though 5:7 is also commonly encountered in practice. The colours are often explained with reference to Faroese nature and Nordic ties: white is commonly associated with sea foam and the bright sky, while red and blue appear in traditional Faroese dress and echo the colour schemes of other Nordic flags. The Faroese Flag Act specifies the cross colours as Pantone Matching System shades (red PMS 032 and blue PMS 300). Norden also publishes commonly used digital equivalents.
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