Bergslagen (Sweden)

Bergslagen, Sweden is not (and never has been) an administrative division, but rather what I suppose you might call a "cultural region", defined by the historical importance of mining (iron, copper, lead and silver).

I came across a car sticker featuring the region's flag, which I'd never seen before. Afterwards, I've found out that it was developed by an individual (named Björn Thärnström), and first hoisted on 11 June 2007.

The colours are supposed to symbolise the key elements of the local economy:

• BLUE - hydroelectric power
• GREEN - forestry
• YELLOW - agriculture
• ORANGE - fire (presumably as used in mining)
• BLACK - ore

The organisation marketing the flag tells the story and features photos of the flag.
Mikael Parkvall, 1 August 2007

---

On the page it says: "Bergslagsflaggan kan sitta uppe dygnet runt, även på en stor flaggstång, eftersom den inte är en nationsflagga", i.e. "The Bergslag flag can be hoisted day and night, even on a big flag pole, because it is not a national flag".

While this might be correct, formally, IMHO I'd say it is not very appropriate.
Elias Granqvist, 2 August 2007

---

The creator of the flag does not know much about Swedish flags. He claims: "De officiella landskapsflaggorna består av landskapsvapnet på vit botten..." This can be translated into English as: "The official provincial flags consist of the provincial coat of arms on a white field..."

This statement is wrong, the official Swedish provincial flags are squares with the motif of the shield from the coat of arms. The official Swedish city and other communal flags are constructed in the same way.

Compare it to the square national flag of Switzerland, if you wish, this flag is also equal to the motif in the shield of the Swiss coat of arms.
D. Granqvist, 2 August 2007