Europe

Flag of Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked country in Central Europe famous for its stunning alpine scenery, precision watchmaking, chocolate, cheese, and centuries of political neutrality. The Swiss Confederation, founded in 1291, is one of the world's oldest federations and has maintained armed neutrality in European conflicts since 1815. Switzerland is home to the International Red Cross (founded there in 1863), numerous United Nations agencies, and has four official national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.

CapitalBern
RegionEurope
Current flag since1889
Main coloursRed, White
Populationabout 8.8 million
Areaabout 41,300 km²
GeographyLandlocked
Flags in history4

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Switzerland means

The white cross on red comes from the banner of the canton of Schwyz and from the white cross worn by Swiss Confederate soldiers from the 14th century. It became the federal flag in 1848. It is one of only two square national flags, with the Vatican's, though a 2:3 version is used at sea. The Red Cross emblem was created by reversing its colours, to honour Switzerland.

How to recognise it

SQUARE (not rectangular) red flag with bold white plus sign that doesn't reach the edges.

Did you know?

Switzerland has been neutral in international armed conflicts since 1815.

Easily confused with

Switzerland's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Denmark

Vatican City

Flag history of Switzerland

Every flag that has flown over Switzerland, from today back through time.

1889–present

Swiss Federal Flag (standardised)

Switzerland officially standardised its federal flag in 1889 — a bold white cross on red, in a square format unique among sovereign nations (only Vatican City also uses a square flag). The equal-armed cross has represented the Swiss Confederation since at least the Battle of Laupen in 1339, when Swiss troops wore white crosses as field insignia. The Red Cross flag is its inverse — white field, red cross — created in 1863 by Swiss founder Henry Dunant as a deliberate tribute.

1815–1889

Restored Confederation

After the fall of Napoleon, the 1815 Federal Treaty restored the Swiss Confederation and revived the white cross on red as its emblem. The proportions and exact shade of red still varied between cantons for decades before the square national flag was formally standardised in 1889.

1798–1803

Helvetic Republic

When France invaded in 1798 and swept away the old confederation, the short-lived Helvetic Republic adopted a completely different flag — a horizontal green-red-yellow tricolor, the first ever single national flag for all of Switzerland. It abandoned the centuries-old cross entirely. The republic collapsed by 1803, and the cross returned with the restored confederation.

1339–1798

Medieval Origins

Swiss soldiers wore white crosses on red surcoats at the Battle of Laupen (1339) to identify themselves as a confederation. The cross appeared on cantonal battle flags long before Switzerland had a formal national banner, flying over the loose alliance of cantons until the French invasion of 1798.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Switzerland.

1802–1810

Rhodanic Republic

The Napoleonic-era republic of Valais flew a vertical red-and-white field with stars for its districts, before being absorbed directly into France.

1541–1798

Republic of Geneva

An independent Calvinist city-republic — the 'Protestant Rome' — until France annexed it; it later joined the Swiss Confederation as a canton in 1815.

1300–1798

Old Swiss Confederacy

The loose alliance of cantons that grew from the legendary 1291 oath; the white cross on red it fought under at Morgarten and Sempach became the modern Swiss flag.