Coat of arms of Colombia. National symbols of the state

Colombia is a surprisingly diverse country. Its culture is a mixture of European, Latin American and Indian traditions. Does the coat of arms of Colombia show a combination of these traditions? What do the national symbols of this country mean?

Contrastive Colombia

Colombia with confidence can be called a countrycontrasts. The richness and diversity of nature interspersed with the poverty of people. Evergreens mangrove forests and savannahs and no less prosperous corruption and drug business. Despite the obvious problems, tourism in Colombia is quite common. This country has an incredibly beautiful nature: tropical beaches, waterfalls, lakes, forests with unusual inhabitants for our places. Here you can find an anteater, sloth, puma or even a jaguar.

Attractive in Colombia and architecture. Colonial buildings have survived in Cartagena. In Santa Marta also there are ancient buildings, for example, a villa, where once lived Simon Bolivar. The ancient buildings in Bogotá can be seen surrounded by modern multi-storey houses. And on the roads, cars compete with mules.

Hymn, flag and emblem of Colombia

The author of the national anthem was its president Rafael Nunez, who was at the head of the state in the XIX century. The hymn of Colombia every day at 6 o'clock in the morning and evening sounds on state television and radio.

The flag of the country is three horizontalstripes of yellow, blue and red colors. This flag is one of the oldest flags in the world, it was adopted in 1861. There is no official definition of the colors chosen for the flag. It is supposed that, traditionally, yellow means justice, blue is a symbol of nobility and devotion, and a red band means struggle for freedom.

The Colombian coat of arms was adopted in 1834, but in 1924 it was modified. Its author is Francisco de Paula Santander.

The coat of arms is divided into three parts. At the very bottom, two ships are depicted, between which is a land plot. The middle part of the coat of arms is a white band, on which there is a spear and a red hat on it. The pomegranate fruit and two horns of abundance are also placed on the Colombian emblem. Fruits are poured from one horn, and from another - gold coins.

At the top of the shield sits a black condor and holdsIts beak is an olive branch. In the clutches of the condor, there is a ribbon with the inscription Libertad y Orden, which means "freedom and order". On each side of the coat of arms there are two Colombian flags.

Coat of arms of Colombia: symbols

The Andean condor at the head of the coat of arms is a symbol of the Andes and freedom. Condor is used in the heraldry of Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. The wreath or olive branch in its beak means peace.

The Republic of Colombia once had the nameNew Granada, this is evidenced by the fruit of a pomegranate, which is placed on the Colombian emblem. Fruits and coins, emptied from the cornucopia, speak of the wealth of the country and the fertility of its lands.

The red cap in the center of the coat of arms is nothing else,as a Phrygian cap. Even in medieval Europe, he meant the desire for his ideals and the struggle for independence and freedom. Distribution as a symbol of the hood received during the French Revolution. Now, in addition to Colombia, this element is used in the symbols of the United States, Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador.

Land between two ships in the lower part of the coat of armsmeans the Panama isthmus, which was the property of the Republic until 1903. The water around the land is a symbol of the oceans to which the country has an outlet.

The flags on both sides of the coat of arms symbolize four areas, into which the Republic is conditionally divided.

Criticism of the arms

The real Colombian coat of arms is often criticized foranachronistic elements on it. Granat - once a symbol of the state of Granada - is now not grown on the territory of Colombia, the Isthmus of Panama also no longer belongs to the Republic.

The condor bird is more common in otherscountries and is not a national animal of Colombia. In addition, many critics hold the view that the scavenger bird should not be present in the national symbolism.

The Phrygian cap and olive branch are symbols that came from Europe, and have little in common with the Republic of Colombia.

The national symbols of Colombia fully reflectidentity of the region. The state emblem has numerous symbols that tell about different historical events that took place during different periods of the country's existence.