Editing Flag of Finland (section)

==Legal definition==
===Flag Construction===
[[File:Flag of Finland (construction sheet).svg|center|500px]]

===Size===
Under Finnish law, the ratio of the flag is 11:18 (height:width), very close to the [[golden ratio]]. The swallow-tailed state flag is one unit longer, and the tails are five units long. The cusp width of the blue cross is three units of measure, giving a ratio set of 4:3:4 (vertical) and 5:3:10 (horizontal). When flown from a flagpole, the flag is recommended to have a width equalling one-sixth of the height of the pole.

===Usage===
[[File:Suruliputus presidentti Martti Ahtisaaren poismenon johdosta Valtioneuvoston linnassa 16.10.2023 - 53262331518.jpg|thumb|The headquarters of the [[Cabinet of Finland|Finnish Government]] on [[Senate Square, Helsinki|Senate Square]], Helsinki, seen flying the State flag.]]
The Finnish flag is used in three main variants. The usual national flag is used by all citizens, organisations and Finnish [[municipalities of Finland|municipalities]] and [[regions of Finland|regions]]. Anyone is allowed to fly the national flag whenever it is deemed to be suitable.<ref>[https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1978/380 ''Laki Suomen lipusta'' (380/1978)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105052900/http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1978/19780380 |date=5 November 2015 }}. 4 §. Retrieved 3 October 2007. {{in lang|fi}}</ref> The rectangular state flag is used by<ref>[https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1978/380 ''Laki Suomen lipusta'' (380/1978)] . 5 §. Retrieved 3 October 2007. {{in lang|fi}}</ref> bodies of the Finnish national and provincial governments, by the [[cathedral chapters]] of the two national churches ([[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Evangelical Lutheran]] and [[Orthodox Church of Finland|Orthodox]]) and non-naval vessels of the state.

The swallow-tailed national flag, which is also the naval ensign, is flown by the [[Finnish Defence Forces]]. The presidential standard and the command signs of the [[Minister of Defence (Finland)|minister of defence]], [[Chief of Defence (Finland)|chief of defence]], and commander of the [[Finnish Navy]] are flown only by the respective persons.

All public bodies as well as most private citizens and corporations fly the flag on official [[flag flying days in Finland|flag flying days]]. In addition to the official flag flying days, there are about ten unofficial but generally observed flag flying days. Besides flag flying days, normally, no flags or corporate flags are flown. Flag Day is celebrated on Midsummer's Day.

The Finnish flag is raised at 8&nbsp;am and lowered at sunset, however not later than 9&nbsp;pm. On [[Independence Day (Finland)|Independence Day]], the flag is flown until 8&nbsp;pm, regardless of the dark. On the occasion of great national tragedies, the [[Ministry of the Interior (Finland)|Ministry of The Interior]] may recommend flying the flag at [[half mast|half-mast]] throughout the country.

As a special custom in Finland, the flag is flown at [[Midsummer]] from 6&nbsp;pm of Midsummer eve until 9&nbsp;pm of Midsummer's day. This is done to symbolize the fact that the darkness does not come to any part of Finland during Midsummer's Night. Midsummer is also celebrated as the day of the Finnish flag.<ref>[https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1978/383 Asetus Suomen lipusta (383/1978)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031065319/http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1978/19780383 |date=31 October 2020 }}. 3–4 §. Retrieved 3 October 2007. {{in lang|fi}}</ref>

=== Colours ===
The current standard colours were defined in 1995 in both [[CIE 1931 color space|CIE 1931]] and [[Lab color space|CIE 1976]] standards, with approximate equivalents in the [[Natural Color System|Natural Colour System]] (Swedish standard {{nowrap|SS 01 91 22}}) and by the [[Pantone Matching System|Pantone Color Matching System]] also given:

{|class=wikitable
|-
! [[File:Flag of Finland (state).svg|50px]]<br>Colours scheme
! style="background:#002F6C;color:white"| Blue
! style="background:#C8102E;color:white"| Red
! style="background:#FFC72C"| Yellow
|-
| [[CIE 1931 color space|CIE (x, y, Y)]]
| 0.1856, 0.1696, 5.86
| 0.576, 0.312, 10.9
| 0.486, 0.457, 45.7
|-
| [[Lab color space|CIE (L*, a*, b*)]]
| 29.06, 7.24, −36.98
| 39.4, 59.0, 29.6
| 73.4, 14.8, 79.0
|-
| [[Natural Color System]] (SS 01 91 22)
| 4060-R90B
| 1090-Y90R
| 0080-Y204
|-
| [[Pantone]]
| 294 C
| 186 C
| 123 C
|-
|[[sRGB]] (Approximation)
|24, 68, 126
|181, 28, 49
|237, 167, 0
|-
|colspan ="4"|<small>*Section 3 of the source gives for the CIE values illuminant D65 and measurement geometry d/2°. <br>*Source: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/saadoskokoelma/1993/827 Government Decision 827/1993 (in Finnish)</small>
|}
[[File:Finnish presidential standard Palace.jpg|thumb|right|The Finnish presidential standard at the Presidential Palace, Helsinki.]]
[[File:State flag of Finland.jpg|thumb|right|Finnish State Flag at the [[Embassy of Finland to Australia|Finnish embassy]], [[Canberra]].]]
There is no official RGB version of the colours, and in fact the yellow as defined in the CIE L*a*b* standard lies outside [[color gamut|colour gamut]] of the sRGB colour space. The CIE L*a*b* colours can be approximated in [[sRGB]]  (range 0–255) by: blue R=24, G=68, B=126, red R=181, G=28, B=49 and yellow R=237, G=167, B=0. The blue colour is called "sea blue", which is a dark to medium blue. It is not very dark navy blue, and not any bright or greenish shade such as turquoise or [[cyan]]. 

Red and yellow are used in the coat of arms that appears on the state flag.