Zimbabwe had to struggle against at least two colonial powers, Great Britain and Rhodesia, to claim its well-enjoyed independence since 1980. It first made its way out of Britain’s colonial sphere in 1965 and was considered as Southern Rhodesia for the next 15 years until the nation finally managed to free itself from colonial rule. The rich African culture of the Zimbabweans were adequately preserved and continued despite the layers of foreign occupancy. This preservation is evidenced by their chosen motif for the independent country’s emblem.
The flag has a triangular area on its left side, where the pole is normally nearer. It has a white background with the soapstone bird featured on a red star. The white triangle shows a period or area for peace in the land. The bird symbolizes the history and culture of the people and the red star under it shows the country’s relentless struggle for liberation and peace. To its right are seven equally wide bars of colors showing traditional African schemes. The top and bottom-most bars are green which depicts the agricultural and rural areas of the country. Beside both green stripes are the yellow ones which show the wealth of mineral deposits in the country as mostly connected to gold. The two inner bars of red portray the massive bloodshed in the conduct of the first and second wars towards independence. Ultimately, the single black stripe in the middle shows the African heritage that is inherent in the ethnic background of the country.
The Zimbabwe flag carries very notable signs of African heritage which can be seen in almost all states that enjoy independence from their original colonial masters. The varieties of colors are believed to include the hues that sprung from the Ethiopian flag to celebrate its longest reign as an independent African state.