Coat of arms of the Gambia

Coat of arms of the Gambia
Details
Introduced	November 18, 1964
Heraldic shield	Ax and hoe
helmet	Peanut bush
Sign holder	golden lions
Motto (motto)	Progress, Peace, Prosperity ( Eng. , "Progress, Peace, Prosperity")
Previous versions	The emblem of the British colony, 1888 to 1965

The Gambia coat of arms shown here has been in use in the West African state of Gambia since November 18, 1964 .

description

It shows a blue shield with a white and green frame depicting two tools that are crossing each other. These agricultural implements are used by the Mandinka . It is an ax , a so-called dibongo , which is used to harvest peanuts , and a hoe , called a dabandingo , which is used to pull weeds .

Above the shield is a knight's helmet with a fruit-bearing peanut bush on it. Below the sign is a banner with the Gambia's national motto: Progress, Peace, Prosperity ( English , "Progress, Peace, Prosperity").

Two red lions act as coat of arms holders, one armed with the same ax, the other with a hoe. The two lions represent the colonial history of Gambia as part of the British Empire . The crossed ax and hoe represent the importance of agriculture for the Gambia. They are also said to represent the two main ethnic groups of the country: the Mandinka and the Fulbe . The palm tree that can be seen above the bulge on the helmet is, as it were, the national plant of the Gambia.

Historical emblem

Queen Elizabeth II awarded the coat of arms to the Gambia colony in 1964, which is why its structure is English. It replaced an emblem that showed an elephant in front of a palm tree and a hilly landscape. Below was the letter "G" for Gambia. Other colonies of British West Africa , Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast had the same coat of arms with different letters .

See also

• Flag of the Gambia

Web links

Commons : Coat of Arms of Gambia  - Collection of images