Coat of arms of Tuvalu
Encyclopedia
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
shows a shield with a golden border, which is decorated in a pattern with eight mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s and eight banana leaves. The shield itself shows a hut beneath a blue sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
on green grounds. Beneath the ground are stylized depictions in blue and gold of ocean waves
Ocean surface wave
In fluid dynamics, wind waves or, more precisely, wind-generated waves are surface waves that occur on the free surface of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and canals or even on small puddles and ponds. They usually result from the wind blowing over a vast enough stretch of fluid surface. Waves in the...
.
Inscription
Beneath the shield stands a bannerBanner
A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...
with the Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan language
Tuvaluan is a Polynesian language of or closely related to the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. It is more or less distantly related to all other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian, Maori, Tahitian, Samoan, and Tongan, and most closely related to the languages spoken on the Polynesian Outliers...
inscription “Tuvalu mo te Atua”, which translates "Tuvalu for the Almighty". This inscription additionally serves as the title of the Tuvaluan national anthem
Tuvalu mo te Atua
Tuvalu for the Almighty is the national anthem of Tuvalu. The lyrics and music are by Afaese Manoa.It was adopted in 1978, when the country became independent.-Tuvaluan lyrics:...
.
History
The coat of arms of TuvaluTuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
featured on the national flag of Tuvalu
Flag of Tuvalu
The current flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilbert Islands in 1976.-Features:...
in 1995-1996 but the design which was introduced in those years proved to be unpopular.
The old flag, featuring the British Union Flag in the hoist, and omitting the Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan can mean:* an Austronesian language, spoken in Tuvalu, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru and New Zealand; see Tuvaluan language,* something to do with the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu; see Tuvalu* the people of this country; see Tuvaluan people...
coat of arms, was reinstated.
See also
- Flag of Tuvalu#Historical flags