The National Flag of Guyana is called “The Golden Arrowhead”. It bears five colours – red, black, yellow, white and green The flag has the unique design of two triangles (one within the other) issuing from the same base. The outer triangle is gold-colored (arrow-shaped) with a narrow border of white along two sides.
The inner triangle is red with a narrow strip of black bordering the sides. The background of the flag is green, representing the agricultural and forested nature of Guyana. The white border represents the rivers and water potential. The golden arrow represents Guyana’s mineral wealth and the black border, the endurance that will sustain the forward thrust of the Guyanese people. The red of the flag represents the zeal and dynamic nature of nation-building which lies before the young and independent Guyana. The Flag was designed by Whitney Smith, Director of the Flag Centre, Florida, U.S.A.
The national Coat-of-Arms of Guyana is a composite of motifs suggested in separate designs by three Guyanese artists. The design is interpreted as follows:
The Amerindian head-dress symbolizes the Amerindians as the indigenous people of the country. The two diamonds at the side of the head-dress represent the country’s mining industry. The helmet is the monarchial insignia. The two jaguars holding a pick axe, a sugar cane and a stalk of rice symbolize labor and the two main agricultural industries of the country – sugar and rice. The shield which is decorated with the National Flower, the Victoria Regia Lily, is to protect the nation. The three blue wavy lines represent the many waters of Guyana. The Canje Pheasant, the National Bird, at the bottom of the shield represents a rare bird found principally in this part of the world and also the rich fauna of Guyana. The streamer below the shield bears the Nation’s Motto
“ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY”.
The Coat of Arms was selected on the recommendation of the National History and Arts Council and approved by the College of Arms, England. It was accepted by the House of Assembly on Friday, 25th February, 1966.
The Victoria Regia, a water lily, was discovered by Robert Schomburgk, a German Botanist in 1837, while leading an expedition into the interior of what was then British Guiana. In its native habitat of tropical America, the plant is perennial. It grows in 4 to 6 feet of water, the base of the stems being situated in soft mud. From each plant there are seldom more than 4 or 5 leaves. The largest flowers can measure 10 inches to one foot in diameter. When first open, they are white with a sweet smell rather like a ripe fruit; by the second day they are fully expanded and a deeper pink; by the third day, they start to wither.
One of the other national symbols chosen for Guyana is a bird – the Hoatzin or Canje Pheasant. The adult Hoatzin is about 22 inches long from beak to tail. Its color is reddish-brown streaked with green. The under parts are pale brown. The feathers on its shoulder and sides are edged with creamy-white. There is a crest of very long feathers on its head which gives the bird an almost majestic look. The Hoatzin has a very short and very thick beak, and the skin around the crimson eye is of a pale blue color.This bird can be found throughout the year in areas along the banks of the Berbice River and its tributary, the Canje Creek, and to some extent, on the Abary, Mahaicony and Mahaica Rivers. It feeds on the leaves of aquatic vegetation. The nesting period for the Hoatzin, commonly known as the Canje Pheasant, is usually from April to September.
