Uganda is a state in East Africa, a former British colony. Its current state symbols were adopted when the country freed itself from English influence. What does the modern flag of Uganda mean? What bird is on it? Let's find out.
Flag of Uganda
The state symbols of the country were adopted in 1962. The flag was designed by Justice Minister Grace Ibingira. The flag of Uganda consists of six equal horizontal stripes. The first stripe is black, the second yellow, and the third red. The remaining three stripes have the same colors and are arranged in the same order.
In the center of the flag is a round white emblem, which depicts a bird - the symbol of the country. This is a crane, made in black and gray shades. His tail is red, and on his head is a crown of red and white feathers. The bird is turned to the pole, and its left leg is raised.
In general, the national flag of Uganda expresses the idea of uniting the country and faith in its successful development. The black stripe symbolizes the African black population of the country, red- the color of the blood of all people and means the unity of all the inhabitants of Uganda. Yellow no longer refers to people, but to Africa itself. It symbolizes the scorching sun.
Crowned Crane
The bird on the flag of Uganda is the Oriental Crowned Crane. It lives precisely in the eastern region of Africa and is the most numerous species of its family. This is a very large bird up to one meter high and weighing up to four kilograms.
He has a very unusual appearance. The neck of the crane is bluish in color, the body is dark blue. It has huge white wings fringed with blue and brown feathers. The bird's head is crowned with a tuft of fluffy yellow hairs. A red pouch hangs from his chin like a turkey's.
It was chosen as the symbol of Uganda for its grace and beauty. In the form of a national emblem, he was present on the banner of the British colony and on the uniform of the local military. On the modern flag, he is depicted walking, which indicates the desire for development and the movement of the state forward.
Historical flags
From the 18th to the 20th century, the kingdom of Buganda existed on the territory of the country. In Africa, it was quite developed and influential. The British who arrived here could not stay away. They decided to establish control over the kingdom, turning it into their next colony. They quickly agreed with the king, and at the same time converted him to the Christian faith. By the way, the British gave the country the name Uganda, which has reliably grown to it.
The flag of Buganda was a canvas of three vertical stripes: blue, white,blue. In the center of the white stripe was a traditional African shield with spears, under it a lying lion was depicted.
Later, the flag of Uganda became a blue canvas with a miniature of the flag of Britain, located at the pole. On the right was a round emblem with a crowned crane. The image was more realistic. The background was not white, but yellowish, imitating the African landscape. Behind the bird was a green bush. The flag lasted from 1914 until March 1962.
Alternative to flag
In March 1962, Great Britain returned full self-government to its colony, and on October 9, Uganda gained independence. For the new country, a completely different flag project was first prepared. The version adopted in March even had a completely different scale.
The first flag of an independent republic was divided into five vertical stripes. All of them were different in size. Three wide stripes (green, blue, green) alternated with two thin yellow lines. The silhouette of a yellow crane was depicted in the center of the blue stripe.
This flag was adopted when the Democratic Party ruled the country. In April, she lost the election. The new ruling elite proposed a different design, which we see on the flag of Uganda today.
