FLAG OF MOZAMBIQUE: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The flag of Mozambique is the national symbol of this East African country. It is made up of three horizontal stripes of green, black and red, divided by small white stripes. On the left side, it has a red triangle on which a yellow star is imposed and part of the national shield, made up of a book, an AK-47 rifle and a hoe.

Neither the African nor the Islamic states that settled in present-day Mozambican territory created flags to identify it. The first known were the Portuguese, who represented their empire. Mozambican symbols emerged in the 20th century, first as colonial shields and then as flags after independence.

Flag of Mozambique. (User: Nightstallion).

The current Mozambican flag is inspired by that of FRELIMO, a front that was formed to fight for independence. In turn, its origin could be in the flag of UDENAMO, founder of FRELIMO.

Green is identified with vegetation, yellow with the richness of the subsoil and black with Africa. Also, white represents peace and red represents resistance to colonialism. In addition, it is the only one in the world that has a modern weapon: an AK-47 rifle.

History of the flag

Southern Africa was one of the first regions to be inhabited by hominids. It has been determined that the Khoisan were among the first inhabitants of present-day Mozambique, who engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering. However, the region suffered from the rule of the Bantu peoples who occupied much of southern Africa during the first four centuries of the current millennium.

In this way, agriculture developed in the region, as well as a tribal-type economy. In these societies they were grouped by elongated families, and they remained that way for the first millennium, as it was not until the 9th century that some Arab and Persian navigators began to settle on the Mozambican coasts.

- First states

The growth of the population in present-day Mozambique led to the creation of the first states. One of them was the State of Zimbabwe, which encompassed present-day Zimbabwe and its surroundings. The success of this first state lay in the primitive mining and metallurgical industry, which lasted until not before the 12th century.

It is considered that one of the symbols of Great Zimbabwe was what is now known as the Bird of Zimbabwe. In the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, different statues of this bird were found, which is probably a flying eagle. To this day, it remains a national symbol of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe bird. (Mangwanani).

Another important state was the Empire of the Mwenemutapas or Mutapa. They were established in the middle of the 15th century and their articulating axis was the Zambezi River. On its coasts they were able to develop agriculture and, again, mining. None of these early states maintained a conventional flag as we know them today and their symbols were primarily familiar.

- Arrival of the Portuguese

The situation in Mozambique and its symbols changed with contacts with Europeans. The Portuguese were the first to arrive in the area with the navigator Vasco da Gama in 1497. At that time, part of the coastal population was Muslim under the influence of the navigating Arabs.

The Portuguese began to exert influence over the Mutapa Empire and by 1530 they had founded the first settlement. In this way, they made their way across the Zambezi River and along the ocean coast.

Finally, by 1627 the monarch Capranzina, who was an enemy of the Portuguese, was overthrown. As a consequence, the Portuguese succeeded in imposing their uncle, who declared himself a vassal of the Portuguese Empire.

The unique power of the mutapa lasted until the end of the 18th century, although it was a Portuguese vassal state. That included the granting of a shield by the King of Portugal.

Shield of the Empire of the Mwenemutapas or Mutapa granted by the Portuguese king. (1569). (Jpb1301).

However, by not establishing themselves formally, the Portuguese did not create symbols for their territory. From the moment of its first settlement, in 1530, many used the imperial flag.

Flag of the Portuguese Empire. (1521). (Guilherme Paula).

- Islamic states

Although the Portuguese presence was always a factor to consider, their control of the territory was far from being total. In fact, different Islamic groups populated the area and formed into different states. Some of them were the Ajaua states, which were Islamized African farmers and hunters. They remained in the Niassa region between the 18th and 19th century.

Finally, the Portuguese appeased them through the Company of Niassa. Another important Islamic state was the Empire of Gaza, located in today's Gaza region. This was founded by Sochangane in 1828 and became dominant in the coastal area of ​​the Maputo and Zambezi rivers. This state was marked by wars of domination against other minor kingdoms, until it finally fell into Portuguese hands.

Something similar also happened to the coastal Islamic kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of Sancul or the Sultanate of Angoche. Many of them were under the orbit of the Sultanate of Oman. None of these Arab entities maintained flags on their own, which would differentiate them from other states.

- Formal Portuguese colonization

Portuguese colonization advanced towards the seventeenth century, with the arrival of new settlers, who, to increase their power, were linked with local tribal chiefs. As a counter measure, the Portuguese crown established that the Portuguese lands in Mozambique belonged to them, and that they would only be granted a term for three generations that were inherited through the mother.

However, the centralized Portuguese power did not become effective. Only small coastal regions managed to receive orders from Lisbon. The situation changed in the 19th century, with the end of slavery and the economic and industrial diversification of Mozambique. Although the Portuguese presence was focused on the coastal area, since the Portuguese colony of Goa in India, greater commercial influence was exerted in the region.

From 1752, the colony ceased to depend on Goa and had its own governor general. In 1836 it became a Province of Mozambique, but it was not until 1895 that it was decided to create a colonial administration for Mozambique.

In the same way, this administration was hybrid along with the African powers. This situation occurred within the framework of the abolition of slavery, which led to the commercial development of Mozambique.

First colonial shield

Portuguese control did not come even until the beginning of the 20th century, with the end of the Islamic states, as well as in the mining areas of southern Mozambique. The conquest was also made over the states of Ajaua.

In 1926 the Colony of Mozambique was officially created. The last entity to come directly under colonial control was the Compañía de Niassa, which was administered by the Portuguese and ceased to exist in 1929.

It was precisely in the 1930s that the first colonial symbols for Mozambique emerged. The first sample was through a shield, which followed the traditional Portuguese republican heraldry adopted after the 1910 revolution.

In this case, the shield had three barracks: one with the country's arms, one with the golden globe representing the empire and its colonies, and another field with green and white wavy stripes.

Coat of arms of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. (1930s). (Jsobral).

1935 coat of arms and proposed flag

Later, on May 8, 1935, a new shield was established for the colony. This adopted the unique model of the colonies, with two equal barracks and one that distinguished the specific colony, as well as a ribbon with the name of the colony. In the Mozambican case, the distinctive symbol was a yoke with arrows in green.

This symbol has been used by the Hispanic monarchies and years later, it was the image of the Spanish Falange. The rest of the structure remained the same as the rest of the Portuguese colonies.

Coat of arms of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. (1935-1951). (Thommy).

In 1951, Mozambique's colonial status changed. The colony then became an overseas province of the Portuguese Republic. As a consequence, the ribbon on the shield went on to say PROVÍN. MOÇAMBIQUE ULTRAMARINE.

Coat of arms of the Portuguese overseas province of Mozambique. (1951-1975). (Thommy).

In 1967, during the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar under the Estado Novo, a colonial flag was proposed that never came into force. This consisted of the Portuguese flag, but with the simplified colonial shield in the lower right corner.

Proposed flag for the Portuguese overseas province of Mozambique. (1967). (No machine-readable author provided. Brian Boru assumed (based on copyright claims).).

- War of independence

The situation of the Portuguese colonies worsened, because while the French and British had already achieved independence, the Portuguese dictatorship refused to do the same. By the 1960s, movements for the independence struggle began to form: the UDENAMO, MANU and UNAMI.

Their struggle was forged from exile, but the three came together in 1962 to found the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). Later, given the null effectiveness of the diplomatic channel, the FRELIMO began the armed channel. Thus, Mozambique's war of independence began, which lasted a decade. FRELIMO gradually occupied part of the territory.

However, independence was not possible until the realization of the political change in Portugal. In 1974 the Carnation Revolution took place, which deposed the dictatorship in the European country.

As a result, the Lusaka Accords were signed, which established a transitional government with independence as its goal. The first flag was then approved in 1974.

This flag included the Pan-African colors. It had three horizontal stripes, green, black and yellow, divided by small white stripes. Also, on the left side, it included a red triangle.

Flag of Mozambique. (1974-1975). (Thommy).

Origin of the flag

The Pan-African colors of the Mozambican flag originate from the UDENAMO flag. The National Democratic Union of Mozambique adopted its flag in 1961, which had two large parts divided diagonally: one in green, to identify the mountains and plains, and another in black, to represent the population.

In the center, they imposed a red star representing blood and also featured a gold crown, which was identified with peace. After the merger of UDENAMO with other fronts to form FRELIMO, the flag that later became the first of Mozambique was established. The choice of the figure of three horizontal stripes and a triangle could have been influenced by the flag of neighboring Tanganyika.

- Independence

Mozambique's independence came legally on June 25, 1975. Its first president was Samora Machel, from FRELIMO. From the first moment, his government was channeled into nationalizing movements in sectors such as education, justice, health or housing. These actions diminished the industrial capacity of the country, before which the State had to assume control of different sectors of society.

In the same year 1975, the flag of independent Mozambique changed. On this occasion, all the stripes came out of the upper left corner, being formed diagonally. In addition, also in that corner a simplified version of the country's emblem was added, with the book, the rifle and the hoe, as well as a red star, as a symbol of socialism.

Flag of Mozambique. (1975-1983). (See File history below for details.).

1983 flags

After independence, a civil war began in Mozambique that lasted for more than 14 years. FRELIMO confronted the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), an anti-communist ideology and traditionally identified with the right. RENAMO received support from Rhodesia, unilaterally independent and with a pro-apartheid government, and later from South Africa, which welcomed the guerrillas.

The People's Republic of Mozambique changed its flag again in April 1983. That year, the original model of three stripes and a triangle was taken up again, but adding the simplified version of the shield in the center of the triangle. The novelty is that behind the shield a yellow star was added.

Flag of Mozambique. (1983). (Arramall).

However, a month later the flag was changed again. The white circle of the emblem disappeared and the book, the rifle and the hoe remained on the yellow star. This is the flag that is still in force in Mozambique and has not received changes, not even after the end of the civil war in 1992, which has generated controversy on the part of RENAMO.

In 2005 it was proposed in parliament to abolish the AK-47 rifle from the flag. This was finally rejected by the parliamentary majority of FRELIMO.

Meaning of the flag

Since its adoption, the Mozambican flag has had clear meanings, now legally established. The color red is identified with the resistance to Portuguese colonialism and the struggle for independence, as well as the current defense of sovereignty and independence. For its part, the green color is the one that is identified with the richness of the soil, as well as the vegetation, made up of plains and mountains.

In addition, the black color is the one that represents the African population, as well as the continent in general. Yellow is the symbol of minerals and the wealth of the subsoil in general, which are one of the main economic sustenance of Mozambique.

Finally, the white color is the one that represents the peace that the Mozambican people have sought, as well as the justice of the struggle they have had to face.

Meaning of the emblem elements

On the left, the national emblem also has meanings. The star was originally a communist symbol, but today it is understood as the representation of international solidarity of Mozambicans.

Instead, the book is the symbol of education, the hoe represents production, especially food production, and the controversial AK-47 rifle is the symbol of armed struggle and national defense.

References

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2. FRELIMO Party Ideological Labor Department. (1984). Brief history of Mozambique. Editorial of Social Sciences: La Habana, Cuba.
3. Government of Moçambique. (sf). To National Bandeira. Portal do Governo de Moçambique. Recovered from portaldogoverno.gov.mz
4. José, M. (November 25, 2012). Bandeira de Moçambique: Or Meaning of Cores, Symbols and Curiosities. Mozambique Media Online. Recovered from mmo.co.mz.
5. Newitt, MDD (1995). A history of Mozambique. Indiana University Press. Recovered from books.google.com.
6. Nunes, P. (October 21, 2018). Bandeira de Moçambique. Knoow. Thematic encyclopedia. Recovered from knoow.net.
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8. Smith, W. (2011). Flag of Mozambique. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.