Africa

Flag of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa home to the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a medieval stone city that at its peak housed up to 18,000 people and gave the country its name. Victoria Falls, shared with Zambia and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, lies on its northwestern border. Once the 'breadbasket of Africa' for its agricultural productivity, Zimbabwe experienced severe economic difficulties in the 2000s and has been in a period of recovery since.

CapitalHarare
RegionAfrica
Current flag since1980
Main coloursGreen, Yellow, Red, Black, White
Populationabout 16 million
Areaabout 391,000 km²
GeographyLandlocked
Flags in history4

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Zimbabwe means

Green stands for agriculture, yellow for mineral wealth, red for the blood shed in the liberation war, and black for the majority of the people. The white triangle stands for peace, the red star for the hopes of the nation, and the Zimbabwe Bird, a soapstone carving from the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe, for the country's history. It was adopted at independence in 1980.

More about the flag

Zimbabwe's flag was designed by Cedric Herbert and raised at independence on 18 April 1980, replacing the flag of Rhodesia. The Zimbabwe Bird is based on soapstone carvings found at Great Zimbabwe, the stone city that gave the country its name; some of the carvings were taken abroad in colonial times and later returned. The name Zimbabwe means houses of stone in Shona.

How to recognise it

Seven horizontal stripes (green-yellow-red-black repeating) with a white triangle at the hoist bearing a bird and red star.

Did you know?

Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa at over 90%.

Easily confused with

Zimbabwe's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Zambia

South Africa

Flag history of Zimbabwe

Every flag that has flown over Zimbabwe, from today back through time.

1980–present

Flag of Zimbabwe

Adopted at independence in 1980, it uses the green-yellow-red-black ZANU-PF colors with a red star and the golden Zimbabwe Bird, a soapstone carving found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.

1979–1980

Zimbabwe Rhodesia

Used briefly by the short-lived state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979 after the internal settlement, featuring a Zimbabwe Bird on a white disc, before the country reverted to British control.

1968–1979

Rhodesia (UDI era)

On the third anniversary of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, the white-minority government adopted a green-white-green triband with the colonial arms — flying over an internationally unrecognized state.

1964–1968

Rhodesia light-blue ensign

After Southern Rhodesia became simply "Rhodesia" in 1964, it flew a light-blue ensign with the colonial shield, retained through the 1965 UDI.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Zimbabwe.

1968–1979

Rhodesia

Adopted after Ian Smith's white-minority government declared independence; the central colonial arms feature a golden lion and the ancient Great Zimbabwe bird.