Coat of arms of Belize
| Coat of arms of Belize | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Charles III in Right of Belize |
| Adopted | 1981 (standardised in 2019) |
| Crest | A mahogany tree proper[1] |
| Shield | Party per pall inverted, 1st Argent a paddle and a squaring axe proper in saltire 2nd Or a saw and beating axe proper in saltire 3rd per fess bleu celeste and barry wavy or vert azure above the last a sailing ship proper[1] |
| Supporters | Dexter a Belizean Mestizo woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the dexter hand a beating axe, sinister an Afro Belizean woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the sinister hand a paddle proper[1] |
| Compartment | A grassy field proper[1] |
| Motto | SUB UMBRA FLOREO "Under the shade I flourish" |
| Other elements | The whole surrounded by a wreath of 25 leaves proper[1] |
The coat of arms of Belize was adopted upon independence, and the current coat of arms is only slightly different from that used when Belize was a British colony (the Union Jack has been removed, and a Mestizo woodcutter has replaced one of the supporting Afro-Belizean woodcutters).[1][2]
The circular border of the coat is formed by 25 leaves. Within the circle is a mahogany tree, in front of which is a shield tierced per pall inverted. Within the shield are the tools of a woodcutter in the upper sections and a ship in the lower one. These are symbolic of the importance of mahogany in the 18th- and 19th-century Belizean economy.[3]
The flag of Belize features the coat of arms in its centre.
Official description
The British College of Heraldry laid forth the blazon of the coat of arms as follows:[1]
Crest – A mahogany tree proper
Compartment – A grassy field proper
Escutcheon – Party per pall inverted, 1st Argent a paddle and a squaring axe proper in saltire 2nd Or a saw and beating axe proper in saltire 3rd per fess bleu celeste and barry wavy or vert azure above the last a sailing ship proper
Supporters – Dexter a Mestizo (revised post-independence to Belizean Mestizo) woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the dexter hand a beating axe, sinister an African (revised post-independence to Afro Belizean) woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the sinister hand a paddle proper.
Other elements – The whole surrounded by a wreath of 25 leaves proper
Historical versions
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Coat of arms of British Honduras, 1819–1907 -
Coat of arms of British Honduras, 1907–1967 -
Coat of arms of British Honduras/Belize, 1967–1981 -
Coat of arms of Belize, 1981–2019
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References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Belize Flag, Coat of Arms, National Anthem". Belize.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1915). The Book of Public Arms: A Complete Encyclopæeia of All Royal, Territorial, Municipal, Corporate, Official, and Impersonal Arms. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack. pp. 118–119. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "The National Symbols". Government of Belize. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2013.