The Zimbabwe Flag

I work with people from all over the world and the other day one of my colleagues starting asking people what the symbols and colors on the flags from their respective countries meant. It was very interesting in that some people went into a detailed history as to what they meant and others weren’t quite sure about what their flag meant. This got me to thinking that it is important to know what the colors of your flag mean to better understand where you are coming from. Flags are used to represent a country or nation and are a symbol of national identity. For some people, a flag stirs up a sense of pride as they think of what they or others before them went through and those that died during liberation struggles. The Zimbabwe flag tells its own story with the various colors and symbols that make up the flag.

Green Stripe – represents the Country’s vegetation and land resources.
Yellow Stripe – represents the country’s mineral wealth.
Red Stripe – represents the blood spilt during the liberation struggle.
Black Stripe – represents the black majority.
White Triangle – represents peace

The Bird – the bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe which also features on the coat of arms and the currency. The Image was derived from carved soapstone birds found at the Great Zimbabwe ruins in the late nineteenth century. All the carvings were taken away from the country and all but one have been returned. Legend has it that peace will never return to Zimbabwe until all of the artifacts have been returned to their rightful place.

The Star – The red star which is located behind the Zimbabwe Bird represents the nation’s aspirations, internationalism and the ruling party’s socialist credentials.