The Finnish flag shows on white ground a blue Scandinavian Cross, what means a cross which is to the pole-site. All Scandinavian countries use as a sign for relationship and togetherness such a cross in their flags. It is called by the Finns "Siniristilippu" what means "Blue Cross Flag". The flag was introduced by law on the 29th of May in 1918 (other sources mean the 12th of February in 1920). On 26th of May in 1978 some changes had been established by law for the last time. The colours, are given for the flag: blue = pt 294, red = pt 186, yellow = pt 123. About the origin of the flag, there are different statements. It was created in the second half of the 19th century. As the creators of the flag on one hand are called the artists Eero Snellman and Bruno Tuukkanen, but then - on the other hand - the poet Sakari Topelius, who has submitted a draft in 1862, and declared in 1870 that the colors symbolize the snow and the lakes of Finland. The proportions of the flag are to calculate as follows (Thanks to Heikki Kauppi): length: 18 = white 5 + blue 3 + white 10, height 11: = white: 4 + blue 3 + white 4.
The finnish coat of arms appears in all official flags and even on the the naval jack. The momentary flag from 1918 was even a scutcheon-flag. The lion scutcheon goes back to the tomb of the Swedish king Gustav I. from
the house and dynasty of Wasa (*1496–†1560). The in this way Swedish heraldry comes from this fact, that Finland between 1249 and 1809 belonged to Sweden. The scattered nine silvery roses on the red blazon stand for the nine historical provinces of the country.
The name of the country as "Finland" can be literally translated as "Wetlands", because this term goes back to the Old High German word for "swamp" what "fenni" means. But the Finns themselves call their country "Suomi", which goes back to the proper name of the Finns "Suomalaiset". The origin of this name is not known, but has probably something to do with the "Sami" (Lapps) in northern Scandinavia.
