Norwegian flag sizes: table for flag, pennant and pole
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
This page is an English translation of the Norwegian original. Where the two versions differ, the Norwegian text is the original.
How large the flag is in relation to the pole is not regulated in Norway. The Flag Act only sets the flag’s proportions. Norwegian flag makers nevertheless use a firm rule of thumb, and it produces larger flags than in Sweden and Denmark.
The rule of thumb
According to the maker Flaggfabrikken, the flag’s length is about one third of the pole’s height or a little shorter, and anything between one third and one quarter fits well. One quarter, according to the maker, is more like the neighbouring countries. It is the flag’s long side that is measured. The pennant is about one third of the pole’s height or a little longer. Several retailers give the same rule, and the retailer Flaggshop adds about 50 centimetres to the pennant compared with the flag.
The pole’s height is its height above ground, from the ground to the finial. The part set in the foundation is not counted.
Table
The table shows Flaggfabrikken’s recommended sizes. Figures in brackets are alternatives the maker also mentions.
| Pole height | Flag (length) | Pennant (length) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 m | 100 cm | 100 cm |
| 4 m | 125 cm | 125 cm |
| 5 m | 150 cm | 150 cm (175 cm) |
| 6 m | 200 cm | 200 cm (225 cm) |
| 7 m | 200 cm (250 cm) | 250 cm |
| 8 m | 250 cm | 300 cm |
| 9 m | 300 cm | 300–350 cm |
| 10 m | 300 cm (350 cm) | 350 cm |
| 12 m | 400 cm (350 cm) | 400–450 cm |
| 14 m | 450 cm | 500 cm (450 cm) |
| 16 m | 500 cm | 550 cm |
| 18 m | 500 cm | 600 cm |
Other makers give slightly different figures. Flaggstangsfabrikken, for example, gives 200 centimetres for a 6-metre pole, 250 centimetres for 7 and 8 metres and 400 centimetres for 12 metres, with a pennant as long as the flag.
The proportions 16:22
Under section 1 of the Flag Act, the flag’s width relates to its length as 16 to 22. Flaggfabrikken expresses it as 8 to 11. Norwegian flags are sold by length, and the height follows from the proportions:
| Length | Height (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 100 cm | 73 cm |
| 125 cm | 91 cm |
| 150 cm | 109 cm |
| 175 cm | 127 cm |
| 200 cm | 145 cm |
| 250 cm | 182 cm |
| 300 cm | 218 cm |
| 350 cm | 255 cm |
| 400 cm | 291 cm |
| 450 cm | 327 cm |
| 500 cm | 364 cm |
Retailers sometimes give the height with a one-centimetre difference, depending on rounding.
Other considerations
- Wind: Flaggfabrikken points out that a large flag creates a large wind load, and that the pole can break in strong wind. Many take down the flag or pennant when it blows hard.
- The maker’s limit: many poles are designed for a specific maximum flag size, and that information comes from the maker.
- Position: Flaggshop mentions that position matters, so that the pennant does not tangle in nearby trees.
- Half-mast: at half-mast, the upper edge of the flag hangs one third of the pole’s height below the top. With a large flag, the flag can then hang far down. More in the guide to half-mast.
The flag size calculator works out the size for a given pole height. Common heights for the pole itself are covered in the guide to flagpole heights.
Frequently asked questions
What size of Norwegian flag suits an 8-metre flagpole?
Flaggfabrikken gives 250 centimetres as the flag length and 300 centimetres as the pennant length for an 8-metre pole. By the rule of thumb of one third of the pole’s height, the length comes to about 267 centimetres.
Is there an official rule for flag size in Norway?
No. The Flag Act only sets the proportions 16:22. The rule of thumb that the flag’s length is about one third of the pole’s height comes from Norwegian flag makers.
Why does Norway use larger flags than Sweden and Denmark?
Flaggfabrikken writes that anything between one third and one quarter of the pole fits, and that one quarter is more like the neighbouring countries. In Norway, one third is the usual template.
How is the height of a Norwegian flag calculated?
Under section 1 of the Flag Act, the width relates to the length as 16 to 22. The height is therefore the length multiplied by 16/22. A 200-centimetre flag is thus about 145 centimetres high.
How long is the pennant compared with the flag?
Norwegian makers state that the pennant is about one third of the pole’s height or a little longer. One retailer adds about 50 centimetres compared with the flag.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources, most of them in Norwegian:
- Lov om Norges Flag [flaggloven], § 1 – Lovdata
- Norske flagg og vimpler – flagg- og vimpelstørrelser – Flaggfabrikken (produsent)
- Hvilken høyde skal flaggstangen ha? – Flaggstangsfabrikken (produsent)
- Guide for flagg og flaggstang – Flaggshop (forhandler)
- Hvilken størrelse norsk flagg skal du velge? – Flaggbutikk (forhandler)
Related guides
- Flag size calculatorCalculator showing the flag and pennant size for a given pole height by the rule of thumb of Norwegian flag makers and the flag’s proportions of 16:22.
- Flagpole heightsHow tall flagpoles are in Norway: common heights for cabins, houses and businesses, the roof-ridge rule of thumb and what municipal plans can say.
- Flag typesNorwegian flag types: the rectangular flag, the swallow-tailed state flag, the royal standard, the post and customs flags, the pennant, table flags and banners.
- Half-mastFlying the flag at half-mast in Norway: how high the flag hangs, why it is first raised to the top, the flag times in mourning and when it goes back up.
- Buying a flagBuying a Norwegian flag: what affects the price – size, fabric, stitching, colours and fastening – and the rights consumers have under Norwegian law.