Switzerland’s flag is square and features a white cross on a red field. It is one of only two square national flags in the world, the other being Vatican City’s.
The white cross began as a military field sign used by soldiers of the Old Swiss Confederacy in the late 13th or early 14th century. It gradually became a broader symbol of the Swiss Confederation, appearing on flags, uniforms, seals, and coats of arms.
The modern national design developed during the 19th century. Switzerland officially standardized the cross’s proportions in 1889, and later legislation defined the national flag as a Swiss cross on a square background. The cross’s arms are equal in size and extend slightly farther than their width.
A common mix-up is Switzerland’s civil and maritime ensign, which is rectangular in a 2:3 proportion. The humanitarian Red Cross emblem reverses the colours: it is a red cross on white, rather than Switzerland’s white cross on red.