Coat of arms of Barbados
Encyclopedia
The coat of arms of Barbados
was adopted upon independence in 1966 by decree of Queen Elizabeth
. Like other former British possessions in the Caribbean
, the coat of arms has a helmet with a national symbol on top, and a shield beneath that is supported by two animals.
The national symbol found on top of the helmet for Barbados is the fist of a Barbadian holding two sugar canes that are crossed to resemble St. Andrew's Cross. This is representative of the importance of the sugar industry
as well as Barbados celebrating its national independence day
on St. Andrew's Day
.
The shield is gold in colour. Upon it are a pair of the national flower, known as the Pride of Barbados, and a single bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia
). The shield is supported by a dolphin fish and pelican
. They stand for the Pelican Island, and fishing, respectively.
At the bottom is Barbados' national motto ("Pride and Industry") on a scroll.
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
was adopted upon independence in 1966 by decree of Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Like other former British possessions in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, the coat of arms has a helmet with a national symbol on top, and a shield beneath that is supported by two animals.
The national symbol found on top of the helmet for Barbados is the fist of a Barbadian holding two sugar canes that are crossed to resemble St. Andrew's Cross. This is representative of the importance of the sugar industry
Sugar plantations in the Caribbean
The sugar cane plant was the main crop produced on the numerous plantations throughout the Caribbean through the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, as almost every island was covered with sugar plantations and mills for refining the cane for its sweet properties. The main source of labor was African...
as well as Barbados celebrating its national independence day
Independence Day
An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...
on St. Andrew's Day
St. Andrew's Day
St Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on 30 November.Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day...
.
The shield is gold in colour. Upon it are a pair of the national flower, known as the Pride of Barbados, and a single bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia
Ficus citrifolia
Ficus citrifolia, also known as the Shortleaf Fig, Giant Bearded Fig or Wild Banyantree, is a species of banyan native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America south to Paraguay...
). The shield is supported by a dolphin fish and pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
. They stand for the Pelican Island, and fishing, respectively.
At the bottom is Barbados' national motto ("Pride and Industry") on a scroll.
External links
- Coat of arms of Barbados In The World All Countries Coat of arms
- The Barbados Parliament: Independence (Contains information on the Coat of Arms)