Nordic Cooperation

Proportion	3:4
Adopted	2016
Design	Silhouette of a stylised white swan inside a white circle on a blue field
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	1984
Design	Silhouette of a stylised white swan against a blue disc on a white field
Designed by	Kyösti Varis

The Flag of the Nordic Council is blue ( PMS 300 U), with a stylised circular motif of a white swan. The swan symbol was chosen to represent the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1984. The Nordic swan symbolises trust, integrity and freedom. ^[1] It is also designed to symbolise wider Nordic cooperation.

Before 2016, the flag was white, with a stylised circular motif of a white swan upon a blue ( Pantone Reflex Blue C) disk. The Swan had enough wing feathers standing for the eight members and territories of the council: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The flag was designed by Kyösti Varis, an artist from Finland.

All members of the Council except for Greenland use a Nordic Cross Flag. The Nordic Cross was also used in the flag of the Kalmar Union. The Kalmar Union was the only time when all Nordic countries were under a single state–hence it has traditionally been a sign of unity before the Nordic Council adopted the swan flag.^{[ citation needed]}

See also

• Nordic swan

References

External links

• Logo section for Design Manual of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Council.
• www.crwflags.com, Nordic Council, Flags of the World
• www.norden.org Nordic Council
• The history of the Swan symbol, the logo of the Nordic Co-operation

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