The current

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

was adopted on 21 September 1981, one year and five months after the

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...

was adopted. Previously the coat of arms of Zimbabwe was identical to the former

coat of arms of Rhodesia The current coat of arms of Zimbabwe was adopted on 21 September 1981, one year and five months after the Flag of Zimbabwe, national flag was adopted. Previously the coat of arms of Zimbabwe was identical to the former #Coat of arms of Rhodesia (1 ...

Official description

Zimbabwe law describes the coat of arms as follows: ARMS: Vert, a representation of a portion of the Great Zimbabwe proper; on a chief argent seven palets wavy azure. Behind the shield are placed in saltire an agricultural hoe, blade pointed to dexter, and an A.K. automatic rifle in bend sinister, foresight uppermost, all proper. CREST: On a wreath or and vert a mullet gules debruised by a representation of the Great Zimbabwe Bird or. SUPPORTERS: On either side a kudu proper upon an earthen mount adorned with stalks of wheat, a cotton boll and a head of maize, all proper. MOTTO: Unity—Freedom—Work

Meanings

The official symbolism of the Zimbabwean coat of arms is as follows: *Kudus: the unity of purpose of Zimbabwe's various ethnic groups *Earth mound: the plants from which food and clothing is obtained *Motto: the need to maintain the desire for national unity and the will to work for the preservation of freedom *Green shield: the fertility of the country's soil and water. Blue and white wavy lines symbolise prosperity-bringing water *Great Zimbabwe: the historical heritage of Zimbabwe *Hoe and Rifle: the transition from war to peace *Wreath of gold and green: the mining and agricultural enterprise which "protects our national economy" *Star: ancient symbol of hope for the future. Tinctured red to "remind us of the suffering of all our people and the need to avoid any recurrence of that suffering" *Great Zimbabwe Bird: distinctive national emblem

History

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Mutapa (1569–1760)

In 1569,

Sebastian of Portugal Sebastian ( pt, Sebastião I ; 20 January 1554 – 4 August 1578) was King of Portugal from 11 June 1557 to 4 August 1578 and the penultimate Portuguese monarch of the House of Aviz. He was the son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal, and hi ...

made a

grant of arms A grant of arms or a governmental issuance of arms are actions, by a lawful authority such as an officer of arms or State Herald, conferring on a person and his or her descendants the right to bear a particular coat of arms or armorial bearings. ...

to the

Mwenemutapa The Kingdom of Mutapa – sometimes referred to as the Mutapa Empire, Mwenemutapa, ( sn, Mwene we Mutapa, pt, Monomotapa) – was an African kingdom in Zimbabwe, which expanded to what is now modern-day Mozambique. The Portuguese term ''Mono ...

. These were blazoned: Gules between two arrows Argent an African hoe barwise bladed Or handled Argent — The shield surmounted by a Crown Oriental. This was probably the first

to a native of

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

; however it is unlikely that these arms were ever actually used by the Mwenemutapa.

Coat of arms of Rhodesia (1924–1981)

The coat of arms of Rhodesia was used from 1924–1981, for the self-governing

British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

in 1923–1964 and 1979–1980, known simply as

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

from 1964–1979, Zimbabwe–Rhodesia in 1979, and

from 1980. Official authorisation by Royal Warrant for the coat of arms was granted on 11 August 1924. The shield features a red lion passant and two thistles, taken from the family arms of

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Br ...

, after whom the colony was named, and the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

motto ''Sit Nomine Digna'' (May She Be Worthy of the Name) is a reference to Rhodes. The pick, in gold on a green field, represents mining, the economic mainstay of the colony. Also featured above the shield is the soapstone statuette of the

Zimbabwe Bird The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins (first on the Rhodesian pound and then on the Rhodesian dollar). ...

found in the ruins of

Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo. It is thought to have been the capital of a great kingdom during the country's Late Iron Age about which little is known. Con ...

. The shield of the arms was used on the flag of the colony by being placed in the fly of a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Blue Ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...

, in the tradition of most other British colonies. This design changed in 1964 when the field of the flag was changed to light blue. In November 1968, the full

was placed in the centre of a new Rhodesian flag which was a green, white, green triband. After Rhodesia was declared a

republic 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 ...

in 1970, the arms also featured on the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

's flag. The arms remained unchanged following the renaming of the country as

Zimbabwe Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, and sometimes as Rhobabwe, was a short-lived sovereign state that existed from 1 June to 12 December 1979. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was p ...

in 1979, and were initially used by the government of

from 18 April 1980 to 21 September 1981, following which the present coat of arms of Zimbabwe were introduced.

References

External links

Zimbabwe / Rhodesia
at De Rode Leeuw {{DEFAULTSORT:Coat Of Arms Of Zimbabwe National symbols of Zimbabwe