Finnish flag size calculator – flag and pennant by pole length
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Finnish original. Where the two versions differ, the Finnish text is the original.
There are no provisions on the flag’s size compared with the pole, but the Ministry of the Interior and Suomalaisuuden Liitto describe the same rule of thumb: the flag’s height is about one sixth of the pole’s length, and the flag number matches the pole’s length in metres. The calculator shows the size of the flag and the house pennant for a given pole length.
Calculator
How the calculator works
- Nearest size in the Ministry of the Interior’s table: The calculator looks up the row of the Ministry’s table closest to the pole’s length. The table covers poles of 8–18 metres and has no row for 13 metres. Sizes are given as height × length.
- By the rule of thumb: The flag’s height is about one sixth of the pole’s length, and the length is calculated from the 11 : 18 proportions in the Act on the Flag of Finland.
- House pennant: According to Suomalaisuuden Liitto, the pennant is about half as long as the pole. For even pole lengths from 4 to 16 metres, the calculator also shows the pennant size in the Association’s table.
Pole length here means the length of a field pole above the ground. The calculator does not apply to wall poles or the omalippu, where the flag is chosen by the staff and the space by the wall.
Examples
| Pole length | Flag by the table | Pennant |
|---|---|---|
| 8 m | 125 × 204 cm | about 4 m |
| 10 m | 165 × 269 cm | about 5 m |
| 12 m | 200 × 327 cm | about 6 m |
The flag’s proportions and size tables are described in more detail in the guide to flag sizes, and the choice of pole height in the guide to flagpole heights.
Size and half-mast
At half-mast the flag is lowered so that its lower edge is at the middle of the pole, so the flag’s size does not change the height of the lower edge. The practice is described in the guide to half-mast.
Frequently asked questions
How does the calculator work out the flag size?
The calculator shows two values. The first is the nearest size in the Ministry of the Interior’s table for the pole’s length. The second is the size by the rule of thumb, where the flag’s height is about one sixth of the pole’s length and the length follows from the 11 : 18 proportions in the Act.
Why does the table start at an 8 metre pole?
The Ministry of the Interior’s table covers field poles of 8–18 metres, the most common lengths. For shorter poles the calculator shows the size by the rule of thumb.
Is the calculator’s result mandatory in Finland?
No. There are no provisions on the flag’s size compared with the pole. The calculator shows the usual practice described by the Ministry of the Interior and Suomalaisuuden Liitto, and manufacturers can give information on their own size ranges.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Finnish:
- Suomen lippu – usein kysytyt kysymykset – Sisäministeriö
- Tietoa Suomen lipusta – Sisäministeriö
- Laki Suomen lipusta (380/1978) – Finlex (oikeusministeriö)
- Liputus – Suomalaisuuden Liitto
Related guides
- Flag sizesFinnish flag sizes: the 11 : 18 proportions, flag numbers by pole length, the Ministry of the Interior’s size table and the sizes of pennants.
- Flagpole heightsFlagpole heights in Finland: the Ministry of the Interior’s table of ridge height and pole length, flag size and the Building Act’s 30 metre limit.
- Half-mastHalf-mast in Finland: how the flag is first raised to the top and lowered so that its lower edge is at the middle of the pole, and half-mast on a wall pole.
- Flag typesFinnish flag types: the national flag, the state flags, the President’s flag, the house pennant, the facade flag, and the flags of Åland and the Sámi.