ICELAND

The flag of Iceland was officially described in Law No. 34, set out on June 17, 1944, the day Iceland became a republic. Iceland's first national flag was a white cross on a deep blue background. It was first paraded in 1897. The modern flag dates from 1915, when a red cross was inserted into the white cross of the original flag. It was adopted in 1918 and became the national flag when Iceland gained independence from Denmark in 1944.