Description of the flag

The flag of the Åland Islands (Finnish:
Ahvenanmaa, Swedish: Åland) is blue with a red Scandinavian cross fimbriated
yellow.Mark Sensen, 27 November 1995

Dimensions of the flag

The dimensions of the flag of the Åland Islands
are 16:3:4:3:26 horizontally and 12:3:4:3:12 vertically.Mark Sensen, 25 September 1995James Dignan, 26 September 1995

History of the flag

When Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917, the Åland
islanders feared for their Swedish language and culture and mobilized for a
reunion with Sweden. In the Middle Ages the Åland archipelago was a province
of Sweden. Ecclesiastically the islands belonged to the diocese of Abo (Turku)
in Finland, and so the province was lost to Russia in 1809. The issue was
finally settled by the League of Nations in 1921. The islands were to be a
part of Finland, but they were to enjoy autonomy.

However, a flag was not granted until 1954.
Unofficially a blue-yellow-blue triband had been in
use from 1922. Several versions existed, the dominating one had equal
horizontal bands. Another version had a narrower band of yellow - as when the
vertical yellow stripe in the cross on the Swedish flag is taken away.

Blue and yellow were naturally the favourite colours, being both the
colours of Sweden and the colours of the provincial coat of arms (a golden
deer on blue), Therefore, when preparing a design for adoption in the early
1950s, the favoured design was a Scandinavian cross
design of a blue field and a yellow and blue cross - that is, the flag of
Sweden with an extra blue cross in the middle. This proposal was rejected by
the president of Finland as too similar to the Swedish flag. Alternative
designs were the old blue-yellow-blue triband, the flag
of Finland with an extra yellow cross in the middle, and a design where a
red cross was added to the Swedish pattern.

The outcome of the process was the adoption of the blue-yellow- red
Scandinavian cross design. This flag was first hoisted on the town hall in the
provincial capital Mariehamn 3 April 1954.
The red colour was controversial at first, because people felt it lacked a
local tradition. However, the colours can be said to come from the provincial
coat of arms (blue and yellow - also Sweden's colours) and the colours of the
coat of arms of Finland (red and yellow). Also, experts in heraldry have found
out that at one point a Swedish king hoisted a flag of exactly the same
design.

Usage of the flag

According to current (1992) legislation pertaining to the flag, the
proportions are set as 17:26. The parts are defined as 6-1.5- 2-1.5-6 (hoist),
8-1.5-2-1.5-13 (fly). The colours are described as medium blue, golden yellow
and (simply) red. Official flag days are Åland Flag Day, the last Sunday of
April, and Autonomy Day, 9 June. There is also a provision against the misuse
of the flag.

The 1992 flag law also requires vessels operated by
the government of Åland to use the Åland flag. This means that the Åland flag
is also the state ensign within the Åland autonomy context. One can then say
that the Åland flag is now filling the four functions it can possibly fill:
Civil and state flag and civil and state ensign

Åland is a demilitarized area.Jan Oskar Engene, 14 December, 1998

The revised autonomy act (1991) for the Åland Islands gave the autonomy
authorities increased powers to pass legislation concerning the use of the Åland
flag, especially as concerns its use at sea. Making use of these powers, the
legislative assembly of Aland passed a flag law, approved by the president of
Finland on 3. August 1992 and published in Mariehamn 13. August 1992, that
made the Aland flag into a civil ensign. The flag act took effect on 1.
January 1993. The use of the Åland civil ensign is optional, and thus only an
alternative to the Finnish civil ensign for vessels belonging in the islands.

Further, the 1992 flag law gave the Åland government the power to
introduce a special ensign for leisure vessels. This
was done on 17. September 1998.Jan Oskar Engene, 24 May 1999

Official Colors

Authorities in Åland recently officially specified the colours of the Åland
flag, previously only described in law as medium blue, red and yellow.
According to Province Regulations No. 15, 2004, issued in Mariehamn on 8 April
2004, the flag's colours are specified in three different systems: