Flag of the Nordic Council should not be confused with Nordic flag.
| Nordic Cooperation | |
| Proportion: | 3:4 |
| Adoption: | 2016 |
| Design: | Silhouette of a stylised white swan inside a white circle on a blue field |
| Proportion2: | 2:3 |
| Adoption2: | 1984 |
| Design2: | Silhouette of a stylised white swan against a blue disc on a white field |
| Designer2: | Kyösti Varis |
The Flag of the Nordic Council is blue (PMS 300 U), with a stylised circular motif of a white swan. The swan symbol was chosen to represent the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1984. The Nordic swan symbolises trust, integrity and freedom.[1] It is also designed to symbolise wider Nordic cooperation.
Before 2016, the flag was white, with a stylised circular motif of a white swan upon a blue (Pantone Reflex Blue C) disk. The Swan had enough wing feathers standing for the eight members and territories of the council: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The flag was designed by Kyösti Varis, an artist from Finland.
All members of the Council except for Greenland use a Nordic Cross Flag. The Nordic Cross was also used in the flag of the Kalmar Union. The Kalmar Union was the only time when all Nordic countries were under a single state–hence it has traditionally been a sign of unity before the Nordic Council adopted the swan flag.