Kiruna (Sweden)

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by christopher oehler
Keywords: kiruna | iron: symbol | ptarmigan |
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by Elias Granqvist

• About the flag
• Blazon

See also:

• Lapland (where Kiruna is situated)
• County of North Bothnia (where Kiruna is situated)
• Municipal flags (Sweden)
• Sweden

• Kiruna kommuns grafiska profil (pdf file, only in Swedish)

About the flag

The decision to adopt this flag was taken by the town council in 2002. It is to be used instead of the (still official) banner of arms; the arms can be seen in the centre of the flag. The reason for the flag change was, that they wanted the shield form to show in the flag. The adoption of the new flag was initiated by two locals, Mr. Gunnar Hammar and Ms. Ulla Björklund.

The arms of Kiruna was granted to the town on the 20th of May 1949, the year after Kiruna became a town. The name of the town comes from the name Kiirunavaara, a name on a mountain, meaning "ptarmigan mountain"; hence the ptarmigan in the arms. The iron sign stands for the iron mining.

The Saami name of the town is Giron.
Elias Granqvist, 20 February 2004

The specifics of this flag can be seen in the graphic manual of the municipality of Kiruna, on page 9: http://www.kommun.kiruna.se/upload/1510/Grafisk.pdf
Elias Granqvist, 14 February 2010

Official blazon of the arms: "Sköld delad av silver, vari ett blått järnmärke, och blått, vari en fjällripa av silver med röd beväring, därest dylik skall förekomma."