Which country's flag is a red square with a white cross?

Switzerland’s national flag is a red square bearing a white Greek cross at its center. Its unusual square shape and bold cross make it one of the most recognizable flags in Europe.

The white cross has roots in the field signs used by soldiers of the Old Swiss Confederacy during the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. It helped identify Swiss combatants and later became a broader emblem of the confederation. The modern red flag with a centered white cross was adopted for Swiss military use in 1841, while the federal design was formally defined in the nineteenth century.

The square shape is not accidental: it developed from medieval and early modern infantry war flags. Most national flags became rectangular through maritime traditions, but Switzerland retained the older military format. A common mix-up is the Red Cross emblem, which reverses the colors: it shows a red cross on a white background. Switzerland’s civil and state ensign is rectangular, but the national flag itself remains square.