Aland
regionscrossNordic crossblue
The flag of Aland features a red Scandinavian cross with a gold inner cross on a blue field. Unlike other Finnish regions that use coats of arms, Aland has its own distinct flag reflecting its autonomous status. The blue represents the surrounding Baltic Sea, the red symbolizes the historical ties to Swedish and Finnish heritage, and the gold cross represents the islands' identity. Aland is an autonomous, demilitarized Swedish-speaking archipelago of over 6,700 islands.
Aland is completely demilitarized by international treaty since 1921, and its residents are exempt from Finnish military service — one of the few places in the world with internationally guaranteed neutrality.
Adopted: 1954
