Styles and Meaning

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

comprises a warrior's shield which bears a golden portion on the upper part followed underneath by the

flag of Tanzania The flag of Tanzania ( sw, bendera ya Tanzania) consists of a yellow-edged black diagonal band, divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner, with a green upper triangle and light blue lower triangle. Adopted in 1964 to replace the indiv ...

. The golden portion represents minerals in the United Republic; the red portion underneath the flag symbolises the rich fertile soil of Africa; and the wavy bands represent the land, sea, lakes and coastal lines of the United Republic. In the golden part of the flag, there appears a burning torch signifying freedom ( Uhuru), enlightenment and knowledge; a spear signifying defence of freedom and crossed axe and hoe being tools that the people of

use in developing the country. The shield stands upon the representation of

Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...

Elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...

s are supported by a man and a woman, with a clove bush at the feet of the man and a

cotton bush ''Maireana aphylla'', also known as cotton bush or leafless bluebush, is a leafless (or almost leafless) shrub that is endemic to Australia. It is usually rounded in form and grows to around in height. The species occurs in all mainland sta ...

at the feet of the woman (whose head is covered with a golden scarf) indicating the theme of co-operation. The United Republic motto below –''Uhuru na Umoja''– is written in Swahili and means "

Freedom and Unity "Freedom and Unity" is the official motto of the U.S. state of Vermont. The motto was first adopted in 1788 for use on the Great Seal of the Vermont Republic. Ira Allen designed the Vermont seal and is often credited as its author. Allen's 179 ...

History

The Coat of Arms of Tanzania was inspired by that of the

Republic of Tanganyika A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. While the Tanganyika flag ("Independence Flag") was adopted by decree on the day of independence, 9th December, 1961, the flag, coat of arms and public seal were adopted into law on the first anniversary of independence in 1962. On the Day of Union, just prior to mixing the soils of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, President Nyerere decreed the Emblem of Tanganyika would become the Emblem of Tanzania. In time a new emblem, from that of Tanganyika, was created that included the new Tanzanian flag adopted on the Day of Union. The new flag and coat of arms of the Union were adopted into law in 1971. It is unknown who created the design. There are three well known claimants. * Francis Maige Kanyasu (known as Ngosha) claimed to have created it with colleagues in 1957. * Jeremiah Wisdom Kabati whose family claim he created while teaching in

Tabora Tabora is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian government. It is also the administrative seat of Tabora Urban District. According to the 2012 census, the district had a population of 226,999 ...

in 1960. In years following Ngosha's death in 2017 it is suggested Teacher Kabati and Mr Kanysau collaborated on the emblem in

Mwanza Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,182,000 in 2021, it is Tanzania's second largest c ...

in the late 1950's. * Abdalah Farahani, of

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

, claimed to have created it in 1964.

Related coats of arms

File:Tanganyika coat of arms.svg,

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

File:Coat of arms of Zanzibar.png,

References

External links

Tanzanian National WebsiteStatehouse Website
at national-symbol.com {{Coat of arms of Africa

National symbols of Tanzania