Switzerland Flag

Switzerland's flag is one of only two square national flags in the world (the other being Vatican City). It features a bold white cross centred on a red field. The cross arms are equal in length and each arm is one-sixth of the flag's width.

The Swiss Federal Cross is different from a Greek or plus-sign cross — the arms are slightly longer relative to their width, giving the symbol a distinctive, solid appearance.

The white cross on red dates to medieval Swiss cantons and appears on the seal of the Old Swiss Confederacy from 1291. It was carried by Swiss soldiers at the Battle of Laupen (1339) and became an increasingly common symbol of Swiss identity.

The Federal Law on the National Flag was enacted in 1889, standardising the design. Switzerland's strict neutrality means the flag is widely recognised as a symbol of peace, also adopted by the International Red Cross (with inverted colours) in 1863.