Senegal is a state that was one of the first to accept European colonialists. At the time when newcomers from the Old World first came to these lands, there already existed a developed statehood, but it fell into decay with the beginning of the active expansion of France against the population of Senegal. However, there is also a positive moment here - before that, there were several separate kingdoms on this territory, which were united into one after the declaration of Senegal as a French colony. It was at this time that the country began to exist as such and in the future, after the struggle for independence, it later received such symbols of an independent state as the flag and coat of arms of Senegal.
After the conquest of Senegal by France, the government here was established in such a way that the local elite participated in the government process. This allowed the colonialists to increase the loyalty of the population and get rid of a significant part of the worries. At this time, the beginnings of modern statehood were laid, which, after the struggle of the Senegalese for independence and the collapse of the Federation of Mali, allowed the establishment of the Independent Republic of Senegal.
History of the coat of arms
The coat of arms of the Independent Republic of Senegal was quite traditional for the maritime states and contained images of mermaids, tridents and waves. All this was crowned with the rising sun, above which was a ribbon with the name of the country.
In its more modern form, the coat of arms of Senegal appeared already in 1960 and it showed a lion under a green star. However, the new state symbol did not contain all the necessary information, so five years later it was edited, after which it acquired its final form.
Coat of arms elements
The modern coat of arms of Senegal is an emblem that depicts a lion (a symbol of the power of the president) and a baobab (giant baobabs are the pride of Senegal). There is a green star above the emblem - a symbol of openness, readiness for union and unity.
The colors of the coat of arms are made in the spirit common for the African continent using green, red and yellow:
- green - a symbol of hope and development;
- red - to denote blood spilled for independence;
- yellow - symbolizing prosperity acquired by joint labor.
All this is complemented by a tape with the motto "One people, one goal, one faith", made in French.
