The coat of arms of
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
is a shield with a golden border, which is decorated in a pattern with eight
mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
shells and eight banana leaves. The shield itself shows a
maneapa beneath a blue
sky
The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space.
In the field of astronomy, ...
on green grounds. Beneath the ground are stylised depictions in blue and gold of
ocean waves
In fluid dynamics, a wind wave, water wave, or wind-generated water wave, is a surface wave that occurs on the free surface of bodies of water as a result from the wind blowing over the water surface. The contact distance in the direction of t ...
. The coat of arms was approved by the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
and granted by
royal warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law.
Royal warrant may refer to:
* Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...
on 3 December 1976.
The motto is ''Tuvalu mo te Atua'',
Tuvaluan for "Tuvalu for the Almighty".
This additionally serves as the title of the
Tuvaluan national anthem.
History
The coat of arms of
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
featured on the national
flag of Tuvalu in 1995-1996 but the design which was introduced in those years proved to be unpopular.
The old flag, featuring the British
Union Flag in the
canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative division terminology
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and ent ...
and without the Tuvaluan coat of arms, was reinstated. The coat of arms is still featured on Tuvalu's state flag.
Image:Flag of Tuvalu (1976–1978).svg, The colonial flag of Tuvalu, featuring the coat of arms
Image:Flag of Tuvalu (1996–1997).svg, The 1995-1997 flag featured a slightly different coat of arms
Image:Flag of Tuvalu (state).svg, The current state flag of Tuvalu
See also
*
Flag of Tuvalu#Historical flags
* ''
''
References
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
National symbols of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
1976 establishments in Tuvalu
{{Tuvalu-stub