The coat of arms of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included artist Carlisle Chang (1921–2001) and carnival designer George Bailey (1935–1970)."Carlisle Chang (1921–2001)"
, NALIS."Coat of Arms"
''The National Identity Guidelines of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago'' (Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago), p. 4.

Design

The palm tree crest at the top of the coat of arms was taken from Tobago's coat of arms before it was joined in political union with Trinidad. The shield comprises the same colours (black, red, and white) as the nation's flag and carry the same meaning. The gold ships represent the three ships

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

used on his voyage. The two birds on the shield are

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

s. Trinidad is sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Hummingbird” because 18 different species of hummingbird have been recorded on the island. “Land of the Hummingbird” is also believed to have been the Amerindian name for Trinidad. The two larger birds are the

Scarlet Ibis The scarlet ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'') is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its ...

(left) and the

Cocrico The rufous-vented chachalaca (''Ortalis ruficauda'') is a member of an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. It inhabits northeast Colombia and northern Venezuela where it is called ...

(right), the national birds of Trinidad and Tobago. Below the Scarlet Ibis are three hills, representing the

Trinity Hills The Trinity Hills are a range of hills in southeastern Trinidad. According to legend, it is after these hills that Christopher Columbus named the island of Trinidad. Columbus had promised to name the next land he discovered after the ''Holy Trinit ...

in southern Trinidad, which, it is believed, convinced Columbus to name the island after the

Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

. The island rising out of the waters beneath the Cocrico represents Tobago. Below these birds is the nation's motto, "Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve." It was designed by Carlyle Chang Kezia and George Bailey.

Historical

References

{{Coat of arms of North America National symbols of Trinidad and Tobago

Coats of arms with chevrons

Design

Historical

See also

References