The flag of Åland (Swedish: Ålands flagga) is a yellow or gold Nordic cross with another red cross inside on a blue background with the vertical bar shifted towards the hoist side.[1] It is intended to resemble the Swedish flag defaced by a red cross symbolizing Finland.[2] The flag was officially adopted as the flag of Åland in 1954 and first hoisted in Mariehamn on 3 April 1954.[3] Prior to autonomy, an unofficial horizontal bicolour triband of blue-yellow-blue was in use until it was made illegal in 1935.[4]