Coat of arms of Belize
| Coat of arms of Belize | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Armiger | Charles III in Right of Belize |
| Adopted | 1981 |
| Crest | A mahogany tree 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 Caucasian woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the dexter hand a beating axe proper, sinister an African woodsman proper garbed in trousers argent bearing in the sinister hand a paddle proper |
| Compartment | A grassy field proper |
| Motto | SUB UMBRA FLOREO "Under the shade I flourish" |
| Other elements | The whole surrounded by a wreath of 25 leaves proper |
The Coat of Arms of Belize began to be used when Belize became independent. The current coat of arms is only slightly different from that used when Belize was a British colony.[1]
The border is a circle of twenty-five leaves. Inside the circle is a mahogany tree. There are the tools of a woodcutter and a ship. These show the importance of mahogany in the 18th and 19th century Belizean economy.
The shield is supported by two wood-cutters of different races. The one on the left is holding an axe. The one on the right is holding an oar. Again this shows the importance of the mahogany and its importance to boat building.
At the bottom is the national motto: SUB UMBRA FLOREO. This means "Under the Shade I Flourish".
The Flag of Belize has the coat of arms in its centre.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ National arms of BELIZE - Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 10 March 2012.