The coat of arms of Bolivia was adopted in its current form in 1963. Before that, the coats of arms of this country were repeatedly changed since 1825 - the date of the proclamation of independence of this country.
Description of the coat of arms
The coat of arms has the form of an oval (an Italian shield), which is surrounded by the flag of this country, muskets, laurel branches, as well as a condor living in the Andes. There are ten stars on the border of the oval, as well as the name of the country in red letters. The stars represent the nine present-day provinces of the country, as well as the historic province of Antofagasta, which now belongs to Chile. The border of the shield is a tape that can be divided into two parts. The top of this ribbon has a golden tint.
In the center of the oval there is an image of Mount Potosi, an alpaca, a tree and a sheaf of wheat. These signs represent Bolivia's natural wealth. There are rifles behind the oval. They mean a struggle for sovereignty. An ax and a Phrygian cap are also visible on the coat of arms. These are symbols of will. Laurel branches are a sign of peace, a condor is a sign of readiness to defend the country.
The shield depicts a landscape: a blue, clear blue sky, a shining sun, mountains, at the foot of which there is a house. This landscape is the personification of the weather conditions of the country, the mining industry of the economy.
Some interesting symbols of the coat of arms
- Lama. She is depicted grazing on the grass. This is a representative of the animal world of the country. In addition, the llama is the main object of animal husbandry.
- Sheaf of wheat. It is a symbol of the agricultural industry, as the country is famous for its huge and generous fields of wheat.
- Wood. It is not just a tree, but a symbol of valuable plants growing in Bolivia. So, the country is famous throughout the world for the extraction of the bark of the cinchona tree, hevea.
- Phrygian hat. In this region, such a hat is a common symbol of freedom.
- Olive branch. It is also an integral symbol of the coat of arms. Although it is interesting that recently, at a very official level, there has been a debate about whether to change this branch to a branch with coca leaves. After all, this plant is also an important item of Bolivian export.
History of the coat of arms of Bolivia
The first coat of arms was adopted in 1825, when the country declared independence from Spain. A year later, a new coat of arms of the country was approved, which practically did not differ from the current one. During the 1836-1839s. there was a coat of arms of the Confederation of Bolivia and Peru. In the center of this coat of arms was the image of the sea. Since 1888, the image of the coat of arms has remained practically unchanged.
