Flag of Zimbabwe

Meaning and history of the flag of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's flag was adopted on April 18, 1980, upon the country's independence, formerly known as Rhodesia. It features seven equal horizontal stripes in green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green, symmetrical around the central black stripe. At the hoist is a white triangle edged in black containing a red five-pointed star, on which the golden Zimbabwe Bird is perched.

Green represents agriculture and the country's rural landscape. Yellow symbolizes mineral wealth, including the gold that gave the country its historic name (the ancient "house of stone"). Red honors the blood shed during the war of liberation. Black represents the heritage and ethnicity of the majority population. The white of the triangle symbolizes peace and the path toward the future. The red star represents internationalism and the socialist ideals that inspired the liberation movement.

The Zimbabwe Bird is the flag's most emblematic element: a stylized depiction of the soapstone carvings found among the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, the ancient medieval city that gave the country its name. These bird carvings, dating from the 11th to the 15th centuries, are regarded as the country's foremost national symbol and also appear on its currency and coat of arms. Zimbabwe's flag is one of the most colorful in the world, with a total of five colors, and its horizontal symmetry combined with the hoist-side triangle gives it a balanced yet distinctive design among African flags.

You can view the flag of Zimbabwe in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Zimbabwe profile, its map, or the current local time in Harare.