Switzerland

The Swiss flag derives from the white cross used as a field sign by the Old Swiss Confederacy in the late 13th and early 14th centuries and by Swiss mercenaries. Its origins are linked to the imperial war flag of the Holy Roman Empire and to the canton of Schwyz, which used a narrow white cross on red by 1240. A square red-and-white flag was adopted for the federal army after the 1848 constitution, and the national flag on land was formally established on 12 December 1889. A rectangular civil ensign for use at sea was later introduced on 9 April 1941. The red field has been associated with courage and visibility, while the white cross represents the historic sign of the Confederacy and has also come to symbolize freedom, honour, fidelity, neutrality, democracy, and peace.