Coat of arms of Senegal

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Coat of arms of Senegal.svg

The coat of arms of Senegal consists of a shield split in red and gold . On the right side a golden, erect lion , on the left side above a green wavy band a baobab in natural colors. The shield is surrounded by two silver palm leaves in a circle . Between the ends of the leaves is a five-pointed green star , below the sign hangs on a green ribbon the national order of the Ordre national du Lion donated in 1960 . A white banner with the (French) state motto Un Peuple - Un But - Une Foi is wrapped around the palm leaves .

The coat of arms was adopted in 1965 and combined from the two Senegalese state seals : One shows the lion under a five-pointed star and bears the inscription République du Sénégal - Un Peuple - Un But - Une Foi ("Republic of Senegal - one people - a Goal - one belief ”). The second state seal shows the baobab tree, with the text République du Sénégal - Au nom du Peuple Sénégalais ("Republic of Senegal - on behalf of the Senegalese people").

As a traditional symbol, the lion is said to represent the ethnic majority of the country (officially "North Soudania"), which roughly corresponds to the speakers of the Atlantic languages . In the pre-colonial kingdoms of Senegal, the lion was a symbol of power and one of the titles of the king. Today the lion also stands for courage and righteousness of the Senegalese people.

The baobab is the typical tree of the Senegalese flora, often a group of these trees stands in the center of a village. It is also used in many ways for the production of food and everyday objects. The green wavy band represents the Senegal River .

The color scheme of the coat of arms uses the pan-African colors like the flag . The green star is also in the flag.

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