Africa · ZW / ZWE
Flag of Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe flag has seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red and black, with a white triangle at the hoist holding a red star and the Zimbabwe Bird, a carved soapstone bird from the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. It was raised on independence day, 18 April 1980.
What the flag of Zimbabwe looks like
The flag of Zimbabwe has seven horizontal stripes of equal width. From top to bottom they are green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green, so the pattern is symmetrical around the black stripe. The proportions are 1:2.
At the hoist is a white isosceles triangle with a thin black border, pointing toward the fly. In the middle of the triangle is a red five-pointed star, and on the star is a yellow-gold image of the Zimbabwe Bird, a bird standing on a small base. The bird is drawn in a stylized, upright pose.
Compare it with the flag of Mozambique, which also has a triangle and star at the hoist. A small version appears as the Zimbabwe flag emoji 🇿🇼.
Zimbabwe flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#006400RGB
0, 100, 0CMYK
100, 0, 100, 61HEX
#FFD200RGB
255, 210, 0CMYK
0, 18, 100, 0HEX
#D40000RGB
212, 0, 0CMYK
0, 100, 100, 17HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0HEX
#000000RGB
0, 0, 0CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100Zimbabwe flag meaning and symbolism
The official meanings of the colors and symbols are as follows:
- Green stands for agriculture and the rural areas of the country.
- Yellow stands for the mineral wealth of Zimbabwe, predominantly gold.
- Red stands for the blood shed in the struggle for independence.
- Black represents the heritage, race and ethnicity of the Black majority.
- White triangle stands for peace.
- Red star officially stands for the nation's aspirations. It is commonly thought to symbolize communism and socialism, as promoted by the ruling party ZANU–PF.
The Zimbabwe Bird is the national symbol of the country. It is based on a soapstone statuette of a bird found at the medieval ruins of Great Zimbabwe, in the south-east of the country. It is most likely a representation of the African fish eagle and it symbolizes the history of Zimbabwe. It first appeared on the coat of arms of Southern Rhodesia in 1924 and on a national flag in 1968. The country took its name from this site, since "Zimbabwe" is understood to come from a Shona phrase for "stone houses".
History of the Zimbabwe flag
Before 1980, the territory was a British colony called Southern Rhodesia. It used the British Blue Ensign with the colony's badge. In 1965 the white-minority government of Ian Smith made a unilateral declaration of independence, which Britain and most of the world refused to accept, and in 1968 Rhodesia adopted a new flag of green, white and green vertical stripes with the Rhodesian coat of arms. The country became a republic in 1970.
Black nationalist movements fought a guerrilla war against the government during the 1970s. In 1979, the country was briefly renamed Zimbabwe Rhodesia, and it was given a new flag, but this was not accepted internationally. A peace agreement at Lancaster House in London in December 1979 led to elections and to independence.
The current flag was raised at independence on 18 April 1980, with Robert Mugabe as the first prime minister. Its design is based on the flag of the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF). The flag has not changed since then.
Zimbabwe flag facts
| Country | Rhodesia |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | April 18, 1980 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #006400, #FFD200, #D40000, #FFFFFF, #000000 |
| Symbols | Zimbabwe Bird, five-pointed star, isosceles triangle |
| Flag emoji | 🇿🇼 |
| Country code | ZW, ZWE (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Harare |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population | 15,178,979 |
| Area | 390,757 km² |
| Currency | United States dollar, pound sterling |
| National anthem | National Anthem of Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe flag: frequently asked questions
What is the bird on the Zimbabwe flag?
It is the Zimbabwe Bird, based on soapstone carvings found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. It is the national symbol of Zimbabwe, and it is most likely a representation of the African fish eagle.
What do the colors of the Zimbabwe flag mean?
Green is for agriculture, yellow for minerals, red for the blood shed in the Chimurenga wars for independence and black for the heritage of the Black majority. The white triangle stands for peace.
When did Zimbabwe change its flag?
The current flag was adopted on 18 April 1980 at independence. It replaced the flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, which had been used briefly in 1979, and before that the 1968 Rhodesian flag.
What country did Zimbabwe used to be called?
It was Southern Rhodesia, then Rhodesia, and briefly Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979. It became Zimbabwe in 1980, taking its name from the stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
Does the Zimbabwe flag have an AK-47 on it?
No. The country that shows a rifle on its flag is Mozambique, one of Zimbabwe's neighbors. The Zimbabwe flag has a bird and a star instead.
What did the Zimbabwe flag look like before 1980?
From 1968 the Rhodesian flag was a green-white-green vertical triband with the coat of arms. In 1979 Zimbabwe Rhodesia used a flag designed by Cedric Herbert, with red, white and green stripes and the bird on a black stripe.
What does the red star on the Zimbabwe flag mean?
Officially, the red star stands for the nation's aspirations. The Zimbabwe Bird sits on it, and the bird first appeared on the Southern Rhodesian coat of arms in 1924.
How many stripes does the Zimbabwe flag have?
Seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black, with a white triangle holding the red star and bird. The official version has a regular star. Some flags made abroad show a flattened bird on an irregular star.
