Zambia (original) (raw)

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Republic of Zambia

image by Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024
Adopted 24 October 1964, modified 1996. Coat of arms adopted 19 February 1965.

Flag of Zambia
Flag colours 1964 to 1996
Zambian Specifications
Colour Specifications
Coat of Arms See also:
Zambia : national index

Flag of Zambia

Whitney Smith says "The Zambian flag is exceptional in having its charges concentrated in its fly half". The red stands for the struggle for freedom, the black for the Zambian people, and the orange for natural resources and mineral wealth. The eagle is representative of the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems.
Dipesh Navsaria, 08 Mar 1996

According to François Burgos the flag of Zambia was changed in 1996. The dark green was substituted for a more clear green, and the eagle which was slightly different from the one on the shield in the Arms, has been changed to be more like the one one the shield.
Jaume Ollé, 06 Sep 1998

Smith (1980)reports that the current Zambian flag is based on the flag of the ruling United National Independence Party (UNIP), the movement which led the struggle for independence. However, according to Flaggenmitteilung, the flag of UNIP was vertical green, white, red (4:1:1).
Željko Heimer, Jaume Ollé, 03 Aug 1997

Flag colours 1964 to 1996

image by Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024

The national flag used between 1964 and 1996 had a darker shade of green.
Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024

Zambian Flag Specifications

The National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Regulations (as amended by Act No. 13 of 1994): Article 7 states that the National Flag "shall be flown only between the hours of sunrise and sunset".
Christopher Southworth, 4 Apr 2003

image by Željko Heimer, 25 Nov 2003

The Zambian flag is determined by the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act, Chapter 6 of the Laws of Zambia of 4 June 1965 amended by Act No. 13 of 1994 (the amendments does not alter the design of the emblems!).

Schedule I attached to the Act gives the construction details of the flag. The sheet gives construction details in units making the flag 14 x 21 in size. Enlarging the numbers so as to remove the fractions, it makes 224 x 336, the fly bars being 40 units each and 144 units high. The eagle is set in the center of the remaining green part in the fly, 42 units high. The length of the eagle is not given, but from the measuring of the image it seems that 106 units would do well as approximate number. The same eagle is used in the Coat of Arms and on the presidential flag (see below).

The Schedule further provides the description of the flag as well as the colour coding. I suspect that the description might have been done by the College of Arms in London:
"Green with orange coloured eagle in flight over a rectangular block of three vertical stripes coloured from left to right in red, black and orange; of overall dimensions 3:2, and to the following colour specifications:
(a) 'Spectrum Green', British Colour Council Shade reference 100
(b) 'Union Jack Red', British Colour Council Shade reference 210
(c) 'Jet Black', British Colour Council Shade reference 220
(d) 'Spectrum Orange', British Colour Council Shade reference 57"

It may be interesting to note that by the Subsidiary Legislation, the Regulations by the Minister, as amended in 1994, the flag is not free to be hoisted by anyone as he or she wishes - it may be flown by any person only on explicitly named and numbered public holidays (Africa Freedom Day, Heroes Day, Unity Day and Independence Day) and on other days as declared by the Minister.

In other occasions the flag is prescribed to be flown (my "shortening" of the "bureaucratic text"):
at state government buildings, local government buildings, statutory board or corporation buildings, state-aided schools and finally on any motor car, boat or ship with the Minister of Government on board. Also, the Minister may give permission for flying the flag on other occasions, as he sees fit.
Željko Heimer, 25 Nov 2003

Colour Specifications

The National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act No. 23 of 1965 defines the national flag and gives color values in British Colour Council Shades:https://www.parliament.gov.zm/sites/default/files/documents

Several sources mention that the national flag changed in 1996, shade of green became lighter and eagle has also been slightly modified, but I haven�t found any legislation on this change. The National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act has been modified in 1994, but colors and eagle were not involved.

The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry issued an Immediate Release on 18 September 2023, it repeats the colors from the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act No. 23 of 1965.
https://www.mcti.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Press-release-National-flag.pdf
Zoltan Horvath, 30 December 2024

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual, London, 2012 [bib-lna.html]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each National Olympic Committee was sent an image of their flag, including the PMS shades, by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for their approval. Once this was obtained, the LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specifications may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the National Olympic Committee believed their flag to be.

For Zambia : PMS 355 green, 032 red, 150 orange and black. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.
_Ian Sumner,_10 Oct 2012

Other sources for colors:

The Album des Pavillons 1990 [pay98] gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Green: Pantone 354c, CMYK 90-0-90-0
Red: Pantone 032c, CMYK 0-90-90-0
Orange: Pantone 165c, CMYK 0-65-100-0

The Flag Manual - Beijing 2008 gives Pantone colors: PMS 032 (red), PMS 355 (green), PMS 150 (orange), and Black.

The Album des Pavillons 2000 [pay00] (Corr. No. 5.) gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Green: Pantone 354c, CMYK 90-0-90-0
Red: Pantone 032c, CMYK 0-90-90-0
Orange: Pantone 151c, CMYK 0-45-90-0

The Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [g9b12] gives Pantone colors: PMS 355 (green), PMS 032 (red), PMS 150 (orange), and PMS Black.

The Album des Pavillons 2023 already specifies the colors of the flags in three color systems:
Red: Pantone 032c, CMYK 0-92-89-0, RGB 230-45-35
Orange: Pantone 151c, CMYK 0-65-94-0, RGB 255-115-0
Green: Pantone 354c, CMYK 79-0-98-0, RGB 0-171-57

Vexilla Mundi gives colors in Pantone system: PMS 354C (green), PMS 032C (red), PMS Black, and PMS 151C (orange).

Wikipedia illustrates the flag, and construction details, cites the British Colour Council Shades and additionally gives the following color values:
Green: Pantone 355, RGB 25-138-0, Hex #198a00, CMYK 82-0-100-46
Red: Pantone 032, RGB 222-32-16, Hex #de2010, CMYK 0-86-93-13
Black: Pantone Black, RGB 0-0-0, Hex #000000, CMYK 0-0-0-100
Orange: Pantone 150, RGB 239-125-0, Hex #ef7d00, CMYK 0-48-100-6

Flag Color Codes gives the following color values:
Green: Hex #198A00, RGB 25-138-0, CMYK 93-0-100-0, Pantone 355, RAL 6037
Red: Hex #DE2010, RGB 222-32-16, CMYK 0-90-76-0, Pantone 032, RAL 3028
Black: Hex #000000, RGB 0-0-0, CMYK 0-0-0-100, Pantone Black, RAL 9005
Orange: Hex #EF7D00, RGB 239-125-0, CMYK 0-30-71-0, Pantone 150, RAL 1007

Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024

Zambian Coat of Arms

.gif) image by Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024

The arms consist of a shield with black and white wavy lines running vertically, a representation of Victoria Falls.
Dipesh Navsaria, 08 Mar 1996

DK Pocket Book "Flags of the World" (1997) [u-udk97]: "In the arms, the eagle which once appeared in the upper part of the shield, forms the crest, above a crossed pickaxe and hoe. White and black bars on the shield represent the famous Victoria Falls. The supporters are an African man and woman and the motto on the base reads 'One Zambia, One Nation'"
Ivan Sache, 27 April 1999

A pamphlet from the Government of Zambia (undated) gives the following explanation of the Zambian coat of arms:
"The shield contains the colours of black and white, representing the Victoria Falls.

The hoe and the pick above the shield represent the labours of the people of Zambia in agriculture and mining. The eagle represents the freedom of Zambia and the ability of the country to rise above its problems.

Supporters of the shield are a man and a woman - symbols of the African family. The man is dressed in bush shirt and shorts, the attire of a worker. The woman is in traditional dress. The mielie cob, the shaft of a mine, and a zebra imposed on the national colours (green) symbolise natural resources (agriculture, minerals, game, the land).

The scroll contains the National motto - "One Zambia, One Nation."

Specification of the Colours is given in the British Colour Council standard shades as follows:

Red - a national colour BCC 210
Green - a national colour BCC 100
Black - a national colour BCC 220
Brown of the hoe and pick handles BCC 140
Brown of the man and woman BCC 69
Khaki of the bush jacket & shorts BCC 67
Yellow of the meilie BCC 51
Gold of the eagle BCC 114"
Bruce Berry, 29 April1999

The Coat of Arms of Zambia is defined by the same law as the flag, namely the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act with the Coat of Arms itself described and pictured in Part III of the Schedule.
SHIELD: Sable six pallets wavy argent.
SUPPORTERS: On the dexter side a Zambian man in Bush shirt, short trousers and sandals and on the sinister side Zambian woman attired in traditional dress proper and both standing on a Compartment of vegetation thereon a Mine Shaft a Maize Cob and a Zebra trotting all proper.
MOTTO: ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
Badge: (here shown surmounting the shield) An eagle head to the sinister or rising from a hoe and a pick in saltire proper.
This Coat of Arms is referred to in the legislation as the Armorial Ensigns of Zambia.
Željko Heimer, 26 Nov 2003

Concerning the national arms shown here, I have some comments to add after comparing Ivan's image with the one in 'Pavillons nationaux et marques distinctives':
- both supporters should wear sandals
- the supporter on the viewer's right should have a yellow armband on left arm
- there is a tiny zebra behind the right foot of the supporter on the viewer's right
- there are a tiny derrick and factory behind the left foot of the supporter on the viewer's left
- the stalk of the corn plant should extend over the ribbon.
These details are so tiny that there are probably impossible to show in FOTW standard format.
Ivan Sache, 09 Jan 2001

Images of coat of arms:
http://www.sh.gov.zm/?page_id=5663
https://www.sh.gov.zm/
Zoltan Horvath, 30 Dec 2024