Flags with Crosses

About Crosses

Crosses on national flags trace back to medieval Christian Europe, when crusader and naval banners marked Christian polities at sea. The most common types are the Scandinavian (or Nordic) cross — offset toward the hoist with arms running to all four edges — used by every Nordic country, and the centered Greek cross found on the flags of Switzerland, Greece, Georgia, and Tonga. The Saint George’s cross of England, the saltire (Saint Andrew’s) cross of Scotland, and the saltire of Saint Patrick combine to form the United Kingdom’s Union Jack, which still appears as a canton on the flags of several Commonwealth nations. Beyond Europe, the Dominican Republic and a handful of Pacific island nations carry crosses for similar historical reasons. Crosses rarely change once adopted: the Danish flag, the Dannebrog, has been in continuous use since the 13th century, making it the world’s oldest national flag still in service.