Flag of Zambia
A green flag with a block of three vertical stripes, red, black and orange, at the bottom right corner, and an orange African fish eagle flying above them.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 24, 1964adopted at independence in 1964; in 1996 the green was made brighter and the eagle redrawn
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- red
- black
- orange
What it means
- Green: the country's farming and plants
- Red: the struggle for freedom
- Black: the people of Zambia
- Orange: copper and the country's other mineral wealth
- African fish eagle: the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems
Where it came from
The flag was introduced by Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's first president, when the country became independent from Britain on 24 October 1964. Wikipedia names Gabriel Ellison as the designer. Its colours are said to be based on the flag of the United National Independence Party, which led the struggle for independence.
History
Before independence, the colony of Northern Rhodesia used a British Blue Ensign with its own badge. The fish eagle comes from the Northern Rhodesia coat of arms of 1927.
In 1996 the flag was updated: the green became lighter and brighter, and the eagle was redrawn to look like the one on Zambia's coat of arms.
The flag's design is set out in the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act of 1965, and the coat of arms was adopted in February 1965.
Fun facts
- Unusually, all the symbols are on the far side of the flag, away from the pole.
- The orange stripe stands for copper, one of Zambia's most important resources.
- The eagle on the flag is older than the country: it was on the colonial coat of arms from 1927.
- From a distance, the stripes look like a small flag tucked into the corner.
Questions
What does the flag of Zambia look like?
A green flag with a block of three vertical stripes, red, black and orange, at the bottom right corner, and an orange African fish eagle flying above them.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Zambia mean?
Green: the country's farming and plants; Red: the struggle for freedom; Black: the people of Zambia; Orange: copper and the country's other mineral wealth; African fish eagle: the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems.
When was the flag of Zambia adopted?
The current flag of Zambia was adopted on October 24, 1964. (adopted at independence in 1964; in 1996 the green was made brighter and the eagle redrawn)
What colours are on the flag of Zambia?
The flag of Zambia uses green, red, black and orange.
Famous landmarks in Zambia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)