Last modified: 2000-01-14 by dov gutterman
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![[Flag of Greenland]](../images/gl.gif)
by Antonio Martins ,
31 December 1999
Flag adopted 21 June 1985, coat of
arms adopted 1 May 1989.
See also:
The flag of Greenland, or Kalaallit Nunaat, celebrated its 10 anniversary in June 10, 1995. For this occasion, the Greenland Post Office, issued some stamps and a brochure explaining the flag. The text in the brochure is written by Thue Christiansen, the flag's designer. Christiansen makes some remarks about the natural features of Greenland, and then goes on to account for the symbolism of the flag:
"the large white part in the flag symbolises the ice cap and our fjords are represented by the red part in the circle. The white part of the circle symbolises the ice bergs and the pack ice, and the large red part in the flad represents the ocean."
In other interpretations the circle is seen as representing the rising and setting sun.
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
As for the design, the following specifications are given in the brochure (mentioned above):
The flag is 12 parts by 18, the white and red stripe are both 6 parts. The centre of the circle is set 7 parts from the hoist along the dividing line between the white and red, the radius being 4 parts. The upper part of the circle is red, the lower white.
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
The flag is called Erfalasorput (meaning 'our flag'), but is also called Aappalaaroq - 'the red'. This term also used to be applied to the Danish flag. In Thue Christiansen's words:
"The colours are the same as 'Dannebrog' (the Danish national flag) and thus we can also continue to call our flag Aappalaartoq, 'the red'."
This was probably the reason why the design won over the proposed green and white Scandinavian cross design.
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
The first serious proposal for a Greenland flag came in 1973 when five people suggested that green-white-blue flag might be appropriate
This inspired other people to put forward their own designs, and in 1974 a Greenland paper published 11 proposals. All except one was a Scandinavian cross design. However, in a vote organized by the paper, Dannebrog was still the most favoured flag.
The Home Rule government organized a design contest in 1980. 555 proposals were sent in, 293 of them from Greenland. The Government was unable to agree on a design, and later invited artists to submit more designs. In the final decision, the red and white flag with the circle won over the green and white flag proposed by Achen (by 14 votes to 11).
Several people were dissatisfied with the decision not to adopt a Scandinavian cross flag. However, the flag now seems to have been accepted and appreciated. To me, the flag described by Andersson seems strange, and I wonder who proposed it.
Jan Oskar Engene, 10 March 1996
![[Arms of Greenland]](../images/gl).gif)
collected by Dov
Gutterman, 8 December 1998 from http://www.gh.gl/uk/govern/context.htm
Jan Oskar Engene, 7 February 1996
Nuuk COA can be seen at: http://www.nuuk.gl
If you want to read a detailed account of the flag of
Greenland, this is the article to look for:
Inge Kleivan: 'The creation of
Greenland's new national symbol: the flag', in: Folk: Journal
of the Danish Ethnographic Society, Vol. 30, 1988, pp. 32-56
(published annually in Copenhagen)
Jan Oskar Engene, 18 October 1995
the blazon of Thule/Qaanaaq (in NW Greenland) would be either:
Azure, a Narwhal rampant, in honour point a four-pointed Star
Argent. or: Azure, a Narwhal hauriant, in honour point a four-pointed
Star Argent.
Ole Andersen , 3 September 1999
According to discussions in rec.heraldry, narwhales are fish,
when talking heraldry. The lack of hindlegs prevent them from
being rampant and such, so it *is* hauriant.
Ole Andersen , 2 January 2000