Flag of Zimbabwe
Seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green, with a white triangle at the pole side holding a red star and a yellow Zimbabwe Bird.
At a glance
- Adopted
- April 18, 1980
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Harare
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- yellow (gold)
- red
- black
- white
What it means
- Green: farming, the land and the countryside
- Yellow: the country's mineral wealth
- Red: the blood shed in the Chimurenga, the wars of liberation
- Black: the heritage of the black majority
- White triangle: peace and the way forward
- Red star: officially the hopes of the nation; it is also linked to the socialist ideas of the ruling party
- Zimbabwe Bird: the national emblem, based on ancient soapstone bird carvings found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe
Where it came from
The flag was adopted on 18 April 1980, the day Zimbabwe became independent. Its colours are based on the flag of ZANU-PF, the party that came to power. Who designed it is told differently: Wikipedia names Cedric Herbert, while other sources say a government committee led by minister Richard Hove submitted it and Herbert suggested adding the bird. Robert Mugabe approved it on 25 March 1980.
History
Before 1980 the country was the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and then Rhodesia. Its flags included a Blue Ensign with the colony's arms, a green-white-green flag from 1968, and a short-lived Zimbabwe Rhodesia flag in 1979. The 1980 flag replaced them all and has not changed since.
Fun facts
- The bird on the flag copies real stone carvings found at Great Zimbabwe, an ancient stone city.
- The same bird appears on Zimbabwe's coat of arms, banknotes and coins.
- The bird was already on the colony's coat of arms in 1924, long before independence.
- The flag is twice as long as it is tall.
Questions
What does the flag of Zimbabwe look like?
Seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green, with a white triangle at the pole side holding a red star and a yellow Zimbabwe Bird.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Zimbabwe mean?
Green: farming, the land and the countryside; Yellow: the country's mineral wealth; Red: the blood shed in the Chimurenga, the wars of liberation; Black: the heritage of the black majority; White triangle: peace and the way forward; Red star: officially the hopes of the nation; it is also linked to the socialist ideas of the ruling party; Zimbabwe Bird: the national emblem, based on ancient soapstone bird carvings found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
When was the flag of Zimbabwe adopted?
The current flag of Zimbabwe was adopted on April 18, 1980.
What colours are on the flag of Zimbabwe?
The flag of Zimbabwe uses green, yellow (gold), red, black and white.
Famous landmarks in Zimbabwe
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)