The Secret History Behind Zambia's Flag
Zambia's flag has an eagle that stands for the people's ability to rise above their problems.
The flag was adopted on October 24, 1964, the day Zambia became independent, and it was designed by Gabriel Ellison, an artist born in the country and of Scottish descent. It is based on the flag of the party that led the country to independence: the green field stays, and the other three colors appear as stripes at the fly end.
Green stands for the country's natural resources and vegetation, red for the struggle for freedom, black for the people and orange for the mineral wealth, mainly copper. The bird is an African fish eagle, which also appears in the national arms.
Before independence, Zambia was the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia and used a Blue Ensign.
The date printed on every Zambia design in our catalog, October 24, 1964, is Independence Day.
An eagle, three stripes and a field of green.
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