Meet the Bahamas: our Coat of Arms, Bird, and Anthem

Bahamas Coat of Arms The Bahamas' coat of arms is a composition of things indigenous to these islands, while the motto “Forward Upward Onward Together” heralds to the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move. The crest of the arms, a light pink conch shell, symbolises the marine life of The Bahamas. The top of the crest is composed of wavy green palm fronds, symbolic of the natural vegetation. The Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus, appears on the shield of the coat of arms. Wavy barrulets of blue symbolise the waters of The Bahamas. The shield is charged with a resplendent or radiant sun to signify the world-famous balmy resort climate, and it also connotes the bright future of these islands. A flamingo, the national bird, and a silvery blue marlin support the shield. The national motto is draped across the base of the coat of arms. There was a national competition to produce the motto for the coat of arms, and the competition was won by two 11-year-old schoolchildren – Vivian F. Moultrie of Inagua Public School and Melvern B. Bowe of the Government High School in Nassau. (Resource: Bahamas.gov) National Bird Flamingo - Inagua is home to a large colony of West Indian Flamingos, National Bird of The Islands of The Bahamas. They live in the Great Inagua National Park, a sanctuary that comprises almost half of the island. In the 1950s, the birds were hunted to near extinction, numbering a mere 3,000. With the help of the National Audubon Society in the United States, the creation of the Bahamas National Trust and the appointment of park wardens, the Inagua population has grown. Flamingos are still an endangered species, even though their numbers are now impressive. It is illegal to harm or capture this bird under the Bahamas Wild Bird (Protection) Act and there are stiff penalties for killing them. During late summer, autumn and winter the Flamingos fly off to Cuba, Hispaniola and the northern Bahama islands of Abaco and Andros. (Reference: Bahamas.com)

National Anthem
The National Anthem is a beautiful song by Timothy Gibson (1903-1978): March On, Bahama-Land (read the full anthem on TheBahamasGuide).



Read about all the symbols of the Bahamas on the BahamasGuide.