The national flag of the Republic of Zimbabwe was first raised officially in April 1980, when the African National Union won a parliamentary victory in the country and hostilities ceased.
Description and proportions of the flag of Zimbabwe
The rectangular flag of Zimbabwe has an aspect ratio of 2: 1. Seven stripes of equal width adorn the flag of the republic. They are arranged horizontally, and their sequence is as follows: the extreme top and bottom are light green, followed by light yellow on both sides, then red fields, and the middle part of the Zimbabwe flag is made in black.
A white isosceles triangle with a black edging is cut from the flagpole into the field of the flag, on the field of which the bird of Zimbabwe is depicted against the background of a red five-pointed star.
The colors on the seven-striped flag of Zimbabwe are traditional for a country located on the African continent. The white color of the triangle is the desire for peace and progressive development. The red stripes are a reminder of the patriotic blood that was spilled in the many years of struggle for the independence and sovereignty of the state of Zimbabwe. The black stripe symbolizes the origin of the people of Zimbabwe and all friendly African tribes living in its territory. Yellow stripes indicate the richness of the country's natural resources and minerals hidden in African soil. The country’s farmland is inscribed in green on the Zimbabwe flag.
The red star on the white triangle of the flag of Zimbabwe is a symbol of the revolution, as a result of which the people of the country gained sovereignty and independence from the colonial yoke. The stylized image of the bird refers to the valuable archaeological rarities found on the territory of the country - statuettes made of steatite stone, which have become the national symbol of the country. Today the image of the bird of Zimbabwe is minted on coins and placed on the coat of arms of the state.
History of the flag of Zimbabwe
At the end of the 19th century, the flag of the British South African Company served as the flag of Zimbabwe, which repeated the state symbol of Britain with the only difference that the emblem with the abbreviation of the company was applied at the intersection of the flag stripes. When the country became part of Southern Rhodesia, its flag became a blue flag with the British flag in the upper left part and a green shield coat of arms on the right half. This symbol of the country existed until 1953, after which the emblem on the flag was replaced by a coat of arms, symbolizing the unity of the Northern and Southern parts of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
