Portal:Zimbabwe/Featured national symbol/2008
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[edit] Featured biographies in 2008
- January
The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is a national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins (first on Rhodesian pound and then Rhodesian dollar). It probably represents the bateleur eagle.
The famous soapstone bird carvings stood on walls and monoliths of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe built, it is believed, sometime between the 12th and 15th centuries by ancestors of the Shona. The ruins, which gave their name to modern Zimbabwe, cover some 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) and are the largest ancient stone construction in Zimbabwe.
- February
Gloriosa is a genus of five species in the plant family Colchicaceae, from tropical Asia and Africa. They are tuberous rooted deciduous perennials, adapted to a monsoon climate with a dormant dry season. It is sometimes called Gloriosa lily or Climbing lily.
Gloriosa climb or scramble over other plants with the aid of tendrils at the ends of their leaves and can reach 3 meters in height. They have showy red or orange flowers, distinctive because of their pronouncedly reflexed petals, like a Turk’s cap lily. The plant is sometimes called the Glory Lily or Flame Lily. G. rothschildiana is the national flower of Zimbabwe and was the national flower of Rhodesia.
- March
The Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savannah in East Africa south of Kenya, and in Southern Africa.
There are three subspecies:
- H. n. niger which is considered low risk conservation dependent
- H. n. varani (Giant Sable Antelope) of central Angola which is classified as critically endangered
- H. n. kirkii (Zambian Sable Antelope) of central Angola and western Zambia and is classified as vulnerable
The Sable Antelope stands 120 to 140 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh 200 to 270 kilograms, males being larger than females. Female Sable Antelope are chestnut to dark brown darkening as they mature while males are very distinctively black. Both sexes have a white underbelly, white cheeks and a white chin.
- April
The Coat of Arms of Zimbabwe was adopted on September 21, 1981, one year and five months after the national flag was adopted.
The Coat of Arms depicts two kudus on the left and right, each standing on top of an earthly mound composed of stalks of wheat, a pile of cotton, and a head of maize. At their feet there is also a banner emblazoned with the Zimbabwe national motto (Unity, Freedom, Work). The shield itself is green, featuring 14 waves of alternating white and blue waved lines at top (chief argent), and also at the center of the shield a representation of the ancient Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe is shown. Placed behind the shield are an agricultural hoe (to the left) and an AK-47 automatic rifle (to the right), both of which are tied with twisted strips of green and gold silk. On the crest, the red star and the Great Zimbabwe Bird, which are also depicted in the national flag, are shown.
- May
Blessed be the Land of Zimbabwe (Shona: "Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe"; Northern Ndebele: "Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe") is the national anthem of Zimbabwe. It was introduced in March 1994 after a nation-wide competition to replace "Ishe Komborera Africa" as a distinctly Zimbabwean song. The winning entry was a song written by Professor Solomon Mutswairo and composed by Fred Changundega. It has been translated into all three of the main languages of Zimbabwe.
The Shona variant is most commonly sung, specifically the first verse:
- Simudzai mureza wedu weZimbabwe
- Yakazvarwa nomoto wechimurenga;
- Neropa zhinji ramagamba
- Tiidzivirire kumhandu dzose;
- Ngaikomborerwe nyika yeZimbabwe.
- June
The flag of Zimbabwe was adopted on April 18, 1980. The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statuette of a bird found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The bird symbolizes the history of Zimbabwe; the red star beneath it symbolizes the revolutionary struggle for liberation and peace.
