Tuvalu coat of arms

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Tuvalu coat of arms
Coat of arms of Tuvalu, svg
Details
Introduced 1980
Motto (motto) Tuvalu mo te Atua

The Tuvalu coat of arms has been a mandatory national emblem since 1980.

description

The coat of arms with a golden border is divided into blue and gold. Above a golden maneapa with blue open windows, below four blue wavy bars . Eight red-spotted mussels alternate with green banana leaves on the shelf. Under the shield, a golden ribbon with black capitals in the Tuvaluan language bears the motto “Tuvalu mo te Atua” (Eight Islands for Almighty God).

symbolism

The banana leaves on the edge of the shield represent the fertility of the islands. The eight shells symbolize the eight inhabited islands of the archipelago. The sign itself shows the Maneapa , the traditional meeting house where the deliberations take place. Under the floor are stylistically in blue and gold waves of the ocean shown. The words "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Eight Islands for Almighty God) are also the title of the Tuvaluan national anthem . Both together surround the Maneapa and thus point to this traditional place, which is important on all islands.

history

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded the archipelago a coat of arms on December 3, 1976, which was retained as the national coat of arms when independence was achieved.

The design comes from RP Turner.

literature

  • Karl-Heinz Hesmer: Flags and coats of arms of the world. History and symbolism of the flags and coats of arms of all states. Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, Gütersloh 1992, ISBN 3-570-01082-1 .