Designed by a local artist of Greenland, Thue Christiansen, the national flag of Greenland features two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red.
Towards the hoist side of the center is a large disk. The top half of the disc is red and the bottom half is white. The white in the flag represents the heavy snowfall experienced by the island and the red color symbolizes the sun shining over the land.
In the local language, Greenlandic, the flag is referred to as Erfalasorput, meaning “our flag”. The Greenland flag is also known as Aappalaartoq – “the red”. The term Aappalaartoq is also used to refer to the flag of Denmark. Unlike the flags of the other Nordic countries, the flag of Greenland does not feature a Nordic Cross.
The idea of the national flag first came up in 1973 when some proposed a green, white, and blue flag. The next year in 1974 a newspaper published eleven other designs out of which ten featured a Nordic Cross. No flag was chosen at the time and the plan of selecting an official flag took a backseat.
In 1978, when Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark, a design contest was held across the country. Of the many entries received, a red and white flag with a circle was chosen as the official flag of the country.
| Official Name: | Greenland |
| Flag Proportion: | 2:3 |
| Adopted on: | June 21, 1985 |
| Location of Greenland: | Located between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans |
| Capital City of Greenland: | Nuuk |
| Cities of Greenland: | Cape Farewell, Qeqqata, Sermersooq, and others |
| Area: | 836,109 square miles |
| Population: | 56,980 estimate |
| Currency: | Danish Krone (DKK) |
| Official Language: | Greenlandic |
| National Anthem: | You, Our Ancient Land |
| National symbol(s): | polar bear |
| National colors: | red, white |
| National anthem: | |
| Name: | “Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit” (“Our Country, Who’s Become So Old” also translated as “You, Our Ancient Land”) |
| Lyrics/Music: | Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN |
Fact about the Greenland flag |
| Country | Greenland |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Thue Christiansen |
| Adopted | June 21, 1985 |
| Revision | NA |
| Design and Colors | A horizontal bicolor of white and red (PMS 186C), with a counterchanged disk slightly off-center towards the hoist. |
| Size Ratio | 2:3 |