Coat of arms and the flag of Gabon: description and meaning of symbols

Gabon is an African country and a former French colony, for which the Swiss came up with a coat of arms. What country is it? What does the coat of arms and the flag of Gabon look like?

A little about the state

Gabon is located in the western part of Central Africa on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea. The country is surrounded by the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. Gabon has a population of 1.8 million. Its territory is 74th in the world in area (267 667 sq. Km).

The country is located within the equatorial and subequatorial belts. The western coast is cut by lagoons, estuaries of rivers and bays. Due to these factors, a hot and very humid climate has formed in Gabon. Over 75% of the territory is covered by evergreen forests.

From 1839 to 1960 the state was a colony of France. From here slaves, cocoa, coffee and timber were exported. Now Gabon is an independent Republic with its capital in Libreville. French is still the official language of the country, and Catholicism is the main religion.

In the state there are deposits of uranium and manganese ores, oil, gas and gold. Their processing accounts for almost 60% of the economy. For example, Gabon is one of the most stable and resource-rich countries in Africa.

Flag of Gabon

The modern flag was adopted in 1960 immediately after independence. It is a rectangular panel with a ratio of width to length of 3: 4. In its symbolism, the flag of Gabon reflects the geographical features of the country.

The flag is divided into three equal stripes. The uppermost strip is colored green and symbolizes the numerous forests of Gabon. The middle area is yellow. It means the hot sun, and also the equator line. The blue strip at the bottom of the flag indicates the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which is washing the country.

According to the values of classical heraldry: green is a symbol of abundance and hope, long-term prosperity, yellow, of course, means wealth and justice, and blue is the sign of the sky and traditionally means beauty, greatness.

The first flag in the history of Gabon was created shortly before its latest version - in 1959. He was not too different from the modern one. The cloth was also divided into three horizontal stripes, only the middle yellow part was twice as thin as the other two. The upper band was divided into two regions. The French tricolor was located on the part nearest to the shaft, the other area was completely green.

The Coat of Arms of Gabon

The emblem of the republic was adopted in 1963. Its basic colors are consonant with the flag. Unlike the flag, its symbolism reflects not only geographical, but also economic features of the country. The development of the arms was the Swiss Louis Mulemman.

The arms shield is triangular in shape and refers to Varangian or Old French type. It is divided into three horizontal areas. The upper region is represented by a strip of green color, on which there are golden circles - the bezant. They denote green forests and abundance of minerals.

The middle area of the shield is painted yellow. Above it is depicted a black ship on which the flag of Gabon flutters. The ship symbolizes the state itself, which is moving forward. The ship sails on the blue waves, which, like on the flag, denote the water wealth of the country.

The shield is held by two black panthers with their golden claws and red tongue released. These are symbolic defenders of the state, testifying to the bravery of the people. Their claws and tongue warn of their readiness to stand guard over the country.

Above the shield is the crown of a tree, along which there is a silver ribbon with the inscription Uniti Progredimur, which means "moving along". Under the coat of arms are depicted the golden roots of the tree and the blue ribbon with the motto of Gabon: Union, Travail, Justice ("Union, Labor, Justice").