Record / CH-NAT-1889

Switzerland

National flag of the Swiss Confederation

EuropeNationalSquareVerified geometry
Flag of Switzerland
Wikimedia Commons asset / ratio 1:1
Quick answer

Switzerland uses a square red flag with a free-standing white cross. Each arm of the cross is one-sixth longer than it is wide.

Specification

The national flag is unusual among sovereign-state flags because its field is square. The white cross sits at the center without touching the edges. Swiss federal visual guidance defines the cross through proportional construction rather than a font or glyph.

Hoist : fly1 : 1
Cross arm relation7 : 6

Reference colors

Swiss redHEX #DA291C / RGB 218, 41, 28
WhiteHEX #FFFFFF / RGB 255, 255, 255

Construction notes

Begin with a square field. Center the cross on both axes. Its four equal arms form a Greek cross, and the horizontal and vertical limbs use the same width. For production work, consult current federal corporate design guidance before treating a screen color as a manufacturing standard.

Historical record

The white cross on red developed from Swiss military and cantonal traditions. The modern proportions were settled by federal decree in 1889. The closely related Swiss maritime ensign is rectangular, so it should not be substituted for the square national flag.

Source trail

This starter record is structured around Swiss Confederation flag and corporate design guidance. A later editorial pass will add document-level citations, archived editions, and a change chronology.