A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...

is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally considered a

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

of the government or (especially in monarchies) the

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

personally and tends to be used in print, on

armorial ware Armorial ware or heraldic china (and a variety of other terms) are ceramics decorated with a coat of arms, either that of a family, or an institution or place. Armorials have been popular on European pottery from the Middle Ages with examples s ...

, and as a wall decoration in official buildings. The royal arms of a monarchy, which may be identical to the national arms, are sometimes described as

arms of dominion Arms of dominion are the arms borne both by a monarch and the state in a monarchy. In this respect they are both the national arms and the arms of the nation's monarch, who is the monarchy's sovereign, and are thus simultaneously the personal arm ...

or arms of sovereignty. An important use for national coats of arms is as the main symbol on the covers of

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

s, the document used internationally to prove the citizenship of a person. Another use for national coats of arms is as a symbol on

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order ...

s of the associated state for general circulation. For a symbol to be called a "national coat of arms", it should follow the rules of

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

. If it does not, then the symbol is not formally a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

but rather a

national emblem A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag A national flag is a flag that represents ...

. However, many unheraldic national emblems are colloquially called national coats of arms anyway, because they are used for the same purposes as national coats of arms.

Types of national coats of arms

Heraldic achievements

The original national coats of arms were (and continue to be)

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

arms, which have a shield ( escutcheon) which carries symbols upon it (

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

s) and often other symbols such as a crown on top of the shield and

supporter In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the coro ...

s. In the real sense of the word, these national coats of arms are the only ones which should be called coats of arms, since that term reflects that the emblem used is following the rules of heraldry. Heraldry originated in Western Europe and has now spread to all parts of the world. Up until the 20th century, most independent nations in the civilized world were monarchies and therefore used the monarchistic style of coat of arms. This style is illustrated below by the

coat of arms of Sweden The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges riksvapen) has a greater and a lesser version. Regulated usage The usage of the coats of arms is regulated by Swedish Law, Swedish Code of Statutes, Act]1970:498 which states (in unoffi ...

and the

royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, or the royal arms for short, is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. These arms are used by the King in his official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Varia ...

, both of which are still in use. Characteristic of this style are the escutcheon (shield) of the kingdom, the supporters on either side (usually beasts as in these cases, but may also be birds, fishes, humans/humanoids or even inanimate objects as depicted on the

coat of arms of Spain The coat of arms of Spain represents Spain and the Spanish nation, including its national sovereignty and the country's form of government, a constitutional monarchy. It appears on the flag of Spain and it is used by the Government of Spain, the ...

) and the crown topping the arms. The crown on the UK arms is specifically

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...

. Both also feature a symbol of the monarch's

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval conc ...

encircling the escutcheon: the chain of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...

on the Swedish arms and the belt of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...

on the UK's arms. A

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

is often present either below or above the escutcheon (as shown on the UK arms); this is absent on the Swedish arms. In common with many European monarchies, the Swedish arms features a representation of a royal robe (see mantle and pavilion) topped with another crown, which became common around the 19th century (and which can also be seen in the Romanian arms below); this type of mantle does not feature at all in British heraldry. The Swedish arms also feature an

inescutcheon In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...

, a secondary escutcheon within the main one which represents (in this case) the monarch's dynasty, although they may also represent other things; the UK arms featured an inescutcheon from 1801, representing Hanover, until 1837, when it was removed. When used by the monarch, the UK arms features a

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

with

mantling In heraldry, mantling or "lambrequin" (its name in French) is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the ...

and crest which are absent from the version of the arms used by the state, and also from the Swedish arms. These features were all commonly used among the arms of European kingdoms. The

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

(sometimes referred to as a

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

when depicted walking; not to be confused with the non-heraldic

), being a symbol of power and sovereignty, as well as of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

(the

Lion of Judah The Lion of Judah ( he, אריה יהודה, ) is a Jewish national and cultural symbol, traditionally regarded as the symbol of the tribe of Judah. The association between the Judahites and the lion can first be found in the blessing given b ...

), is a common charge on monarchal coats of arms and features on the coats of arms of all surviving European kingdoms (i.e. the coats of arms of Belgium,

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

, Spain (where it represents León), Sweden, and the UK), as well as several former monarchies. There is much diversity in the coats of arms of the European republics. Many have chosen to use the same coat of arms they used as monarchies (or as part of monarchies) or a modified version of it.

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

for example uses the former coat of arms of the

Grand Duke of Finland Grand Duke of Finland, or, more accurately, the Grand Prince of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinas, sv, Storfurste av Finland, rus, Великий князь Финляндский, r=Velikiy knyaz' Finlyandskiy, p=vʲɪˈlʲikɪj knʲæsʲ f� ...

, a title held by the Swedish Monarch until 1809 and then by the

Russian Emperor The emperor or empress of all the Russias or All Russia, ''Imperator Vserossiyskiy'', ''Imperatritsa Vserossiyskaya'' (often titled Tsar or Tsarina/Tsaritsa) was the monarch of the Russian Empire. The title originated in connection with Russi ...

until 1917. Other examples include

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, and

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

, all of which also feature lions. Like lions,

eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...

were common charges in the arms of many former European monarchies (although they do not feature on the arms of any surviving European monarchies). Double-headed eagles were also associated with imperial power (specifically that of the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

, Holy Roman,

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation ...

and Russian Empires). Single-headed eagles can be found today on the coats of arms of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, and

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

;

double-headed eagle In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantine Empire, origi ...

s can be found on the coats of arms of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

(without the ermine mantling and crown of the Russian Empire),

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...

, and

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

. Austria uses a single-headed eagle as a supporter for its coat of arms, but this is officially unrelated to and distinct from the double-headed eagle used by the former Austrian Empire; the escutcheon (gules, a fess argent) is however a pre-republic symbol dating back to the middle ages. Eagles also feature prominently as supporters on the coats of arms of Arab states, having been derived from the

Eagle of Saladin The Eagle of Saladin ( ar, نسر صلاح الدين, known in Egypt as the Egyptian Eagle ( ar, النسر المصري ), and the Republican Eagle ( ), is a heraldic eagle that serves as the coat of arms of many countries; coat of arms of Eg ...

. These include the coats of arms of Egypt,

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

(see below) and Palestine, and formerly on the coats of arms of Libya,

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...

, and the United Arab Republic. Many former European

colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

have chosen to use a heraldic coat of arms, but with no connection to the coat of arms used by the colonizing

empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...

are examples of countries that have created such a modern coat of arms according to old heraldic principles. These two nations also have chosen not to use a crown on top of their coats of arms although they formally are monarchies (Australia, however, does use St Edward's Crown ''within'' the coat of arms, on the parts representing

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

). The coat of arms of

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...

below is a typical example of an

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n coat of arms, with a

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

shield supported by native animals. Often, a country will employ different versions of their coats of arms for different purposes. For example, many have a heavily simplified "lesser" version of their arms, with the full or "greater" version being restricted for use by the monarch or in other specific circumstances. File:Coat of Arms of Australia.svg, Coat of arms of Australia File:Coat of arms of Austria.svg,

Coat of arms of Austria The current coat of arms of the Republic of Austria has been in use in its first forms by the First Republic of Austria since 1919. Between 1934 and the German annexation in 1938, the ''Federal State (Bundesstaat Österreich)'' used a different ...

File:Great coat of arms of Belgium.svg,

Coat of arms of Belgium nl, Eendracht maakt machtgerman: Einigkeit macht stark , orders = Order of Leopold , other_elements = The whole is placed on a mantle Gules with ermine lining, fringes and tassels Or and ensigned with the Royal Crown of Belgium. Above ...

File:Coat of arms of Bulgaria.svg,

Coat of arms of Bulgaria coat of arms of Bulgaria ( bg, Герб на България ) consists of a crowned golden lion rampant over a dark red shield; above the shield is the Bulgarian historical crown. The shield is supported by two crowned golden lions rampant; be ...

File:Royal coat of arms of Denmark.svg,

Coat of arms of Denmark The coat of arms of Denmark ( da, Danmarks rigsvåben) has a lesser and a greater version. The state coat of arms () consists of three pale blue lions passant wearing crowns, accompanied by nine red lilypads (normally represented as heraldic ...

File:Coat of arms of Estonia.svg,

Coat of arms of Estonia The coat of arms of Estonia is a golden shield which includes a picture of three left-facing blue lions with red tongues in the middle, with golden oak branches placed on both sides of the shield. The insignia derive(s) from the coat of arms of ...

File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg,

Coat of arms of Fiji The coat of arms of Fiji is the Coat of arms, heraldic device consisting of a Escutcheon (heraldry), shield Division of the field, divided quarterly by St George's Cross, Cross of St. George and Charge (heraldry), charged with a gold Lion (herald ...

File:Coat of arms of Finland.svg,

Coat of arms of Finland The coat of arms of Finland is a crowned lion on a red field, the right foreleg replaced with an armoured human arm brandishing a sword, trampling on a sabre with the hindpaws. The coat of arms was originally created around the year 1580. Back ...

File:Greater coat of arms of Georgia.svg, alt=Coat of arms of Georgia (country), Coat of arms of Georgia File:Coat of arms of Germany.svg,

Coat of arms of Germany The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned: ''Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules''. This is the (German for "Federal Eagle"), for ...

File:Coat of arms of Greece.svg, Coat of arms of Greece File:Coat of arms of Iceland.svg, Coat of arms of Iceland File:Coat of arms of Iraq.svg,

Coat of arms of Iraq The Emblem of Iraq since Baath's coups d'état features a golden black eagle looking towards the viewer's left dexter. The eagle is the Eagle of Saladin associated with 20th-century pan-Arabism, bearing a shield of the Iraqi flag, and holding ...

File:Emblem of Israel dark blue full.svg, Coat of arms of Israel File:Coat of arms of Jamaica.svg,

Coat of arms of Jamaica Considered as a legacy from the British with slight modifications, the Jamaican coat of arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal Warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury. Official description T ...

File:Coat of arms of the Philippines.svg,

Coat of arms of the Philippines The coat of arms of the Philippines ( fil, Sagisag ng Pilipinas; es, Escudo de Filipinas) features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces (Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Manila, Laguna, Nueva Eci ...

File:Coat of arms of Latvia.svg,

Coat of arms of Latvia Coat of arms of Republic of Latvia was officially adopted by the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia on 15 June 1921, and was in official use from 19 August 1921. It was created using new national symbols and elements of coats of arms of Polish and ...

File:Coat of arms of Lithuania.svg,

Coat of arms of Lithuania The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is ...

File:Coat of arms of Malaysia.svg,

Coat of arms of Malaysia The coat of arms of Malaysia ( ms, Jata Negara Malaysia) is a coat of arms comprising a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for a crest and a motto. As the Malaysian coat of arms descended fro ...

File:Coat of arms of Moldova.svg,

Coat of arms of Moldova The coat of arms of Moldova is the national emblem of the Republic of Moldova. Official description Moldovan law describes the arms as follows: ''Per fess gules and azure, an aurochs head cabossed overall, accompanied by a mullet of eight points ...

File:Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands.svg,

Coat of arms of the Netherlands The coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was originally adopted in 1815 and later modified in 1907. The arms are a composite of the arms of the former Dutch Republic and the arms of the House of Nassau, it features a checkered shield wi ...

File:Greater royal coat of arms of Norway.svg,

Coat of arms of Norway The coat of arms of Norway is the arms of dominion of king Harald V of Norway, and as such represents both the monarch and the kingdom (nation and the state). It depicts a standing golden lion on a red background, bearing a golden crown and ax ...

File:State emblem of Pakistan.svg,

Coat of arms of Pakistan The state emblem of Pakistan was adopted in 1954 and symbolizes Pakistan's ideological foundation, the basis of its economy, its cultural heritage and its guiding principles. Design The four components of the emblem are a crescent and star cres ...

File:Coat of arms of Portugal.svg,

Coat of arms of Portugal The coat of arms of Portugal is the main heraldic insignia of Portugal. The present model was officially adopted on 30 June 1911, along with the present model of the Flag of Portugal. It is based on the coat of arms used by the Portuguese Kingd ...

File:Coat of arms of Romania.svg,

Coat of arms of Romania The coat of arms of Romania was adopted in the Romanian Parliament on 10 September 1992 as a representative coat of arms for Romania. It is based on the Lesser Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Romania (used between 1922 and 1947), redesigned by Vi ...

File:Coat of arms of Serbia.svg,

Coat of arms of Serbia The coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the coat of arms determined by the Law on the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Serbia of June 16, 1882. It was officially readopted by the National Assembly in 2004 and later slightly red ...

File:Coat of arms of Singapore (blazon).svg,

Coat of arms of Singapore The coat of arms of Singapore is the Coat of arms, heraldic symbol representing the Sovereign state, sovereign island country and city-state of Singapore located in maritime Southeast Asia. It was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore attained Sel ...

File:Coat of arms of Slovenia.svg, Coat of arms of Slovenia File:Coat of Arms of Spain (corrections of heraldist requests).svg,

Coat of arms of Spain The coat of arms of Spain represents Spain and the Spanish nation, including its national sovereignty and the country's form of government, a constitutional monarchy. It appears on the flag of Spain and it is used by the Government of Spain, the ...

File:Great coat of arms of Sweden.svg,

Coat of arms of Sweden The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges riksvapen) has a greater and a lesser version. Regulated usage The usage of the coats of arms is regulated by Swedish Law, Swedish Code of Statutes, Act]1970:498 which states (in unoffi ...

File:Coat of Arms of Switzerland (Pantone).svg, Coat of arms of Switzerland File:Coat of arms of Tanzania.svg,

Coat of arms of Tanzania Styles and Meaning The coat of arms of Tanzania comprises a warrior's shield which bears a golden portion on the upper part followed underneath by the flag of Tanzania. The golden portion represents minerals in the United Republic; the red po ...

File:Lesser Coat of Arms of Ukraine.svg,

Coat of arms of Ukraine The coat of arms of Ukraine is a blue shield with a gold trident. Officially referred to as the ''Emblem of the Royal State of Volodymyr the Great'', or, colloquially, the ''tryzub'' ( uk, тризуб), the insignia derives from the seal-tr ...

File:Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.svg,

Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, or the royal arms for short, is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. These arms are used by the King in his official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Varia ...

(as used outside Scotland) File:Greater coat of arms of the United States.svg, Coat of arms of the United States File:Coat of arms of Uruguay.svg,

Coat of arms of Uruguay The coat of arms of Uruguay or Uruguayan shield ( Spanish: ''Escudo de Armas del Estado'') was first adopted by law on March 19, 1829, and later on had some minor modification in 1906 and 1908. It was supposedly designed by Juan Manuel Besnes Ir ...

National seals

Another common type of national coat of arms is the

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

. Originally, a seal was used for authenticating documents by stamping an impression on documents and the like. These seals would often contain coats of arms. The United States adopted a seal whose graphical design would also be used as a state symbol and not only as impressions on state documents. This is common in the Americas but also around the world. The round form with text saying what it stands for is easy to recognise. Many national seals are actually, to some extent, in part heraldic and can even have set colours which are always used, even if a seal has another use originally - as a stamp in wax - and in this sense formally never has colours. File:Coat of arms of Bangladesh.svg,

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

Great Seal of Canada.png,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

File:Seal of the Comoros.svg,

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

Great Seal of France.svg,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

File:Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg,

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

File:Great Seal of the United States (obverse).svg, Great Seal of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, the national coat of arms originated as part of the seal

National emblems

An emblem which does not follow the rules of heraldry, but which fulfills the same use as a national coat of arms, can be called a

. These are often used by countries whose regimes are or once were revolutionary, or have their own local rules on national symbolism, and therefore did not use traditional European-style heraldry. File:Coat of arms of Haiti.svg, Emblem of Haiti File:Emblem of India.svg,

Emblem of India The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient scul ...

File:Emblem of Iran.svg,

Emblem of Iran The Emblem of Iran, ; "Official Emblem of Iran"Also fully known as: , ; "The Official Emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran" since the 1979 Iranian Revolution features four Curve, curves and a sword, surmounted by a shadda. The logo was design ...

File:Emblem of Maldives.svg,

Emblem of Maldives The Maldivian National Emblem consists of a coconut palm, a crescent, and two criss-crossing National Flags with the traditional Title of the State. Interpretation The depicted coconut palm represents the livelihood of the Nation according to ...

File:Emblem of Nepal (alternative).svg,

Emblem of Nepal The Emblem of Nepal is the national emblem of Nepal and is used by the Government of Nepal and many government agencies. On 13 June 2020, the emblem was revised to include the newly issued map which includes Nepalese claims to the Kalapani territ ...

File:Emblem of Saudi Arabia (2).svg,

Emblem of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian national emblem ( ar, شعار السعودية) was adopted in 1950. According to the Saudi Basic Law, it consists of two crossed swords with a palm tree in the space above and between the blades. The two swords represent t ...

File:Emblem of South Korea.svg, Emblem of South Korea File:Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg,

Emblem of Sri Lanka The national emblem of Sri Lanka is used by the State of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan government in connection with the administration and government of the country. The current emblem has been in use since 1972 and created under the ideas and ...

National emblems of the East Asian tradition

The Japanese equivalent to a heraldic coat of arms is the ''

mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

'' ( ja, 紋, "sign" or "emblem"), which in its use can be compared to heraldry of the Western world. Similar symbols are common throughout East Asia. File:Imperial Seal of Japan.svg,

Imperial Seal of Japan The Imperial Seal of Japan or National Seal of Japan, also called the , or , is one of the national seals and a crest (''mon'') used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the Imperial Family. It is a contrast to the Paulownia Seal used by the ...

File:Imperial Seal of the Korean Empire.svg,

Imperial Seal of Korea The Imperial Seal of Korea or Ihwamun () was one of the symbols of the Korean Empire. It was originally the emblem of the royal family and was subsequently used for the coat of arms of the short-lived empire. The symbol features a plum flower ...

File:National Emblem of the Republic of China.svg, The

Blue Sky with a White Sun The Blue Sky with a White Sun () serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang, the canton of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China, and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy. In th ...

national emblem of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...

(1928–present) File:Twelve Symbols national emblem of China.svg, The Twelve Symbols national emblem of the

(1913–1928) File:Emblem of Bhutan.svg, Emblem of Bhutan

Socialist state emblems

Many countries which came under the influence of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

during the 20th century took after the design of the

State Emblem of the Soviet Union The State Emblem of the Soviet Union; be, Дзяржаўны герб СССР; kk, ССРО мемлекеттік елтаңбасы; lt, TSRS Valstybinis herbas; lv, PSRS valsts ģerbonis; et, NSVL riigivapp} was adopted in 1923 and was ...

, created in the 1920s. The forms followed a very common pattern and since these national emblems were used in the same way as traditional heraldic coats of arms, even if they did not follow the rules of heraldry, they have been called "

socialist heraldry Socialist-style emblems usually follow a unique style consisting of communist symbolism. Although commonly referred to as coats of arms, most are not actually traditional heraldic achievements. Many communist governments purposely diverged fro ...

". Many of them incorporated symbols of industry and agriculture, the

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...

, a raising sun and the red star of communism. It was not uncommon to show landscapes and weapons, as can be seen in the examples below. When giving up communism, most of these countries returned to traditional heraldry – see for instance the coats of arms of Bulgaria,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, and

. The designs of socialist heraldry also influenced some non-socialist states, such as Italy. File:State Emblem of the Soviet Union.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Transnistria.svg,

Coat of arms of Transnistria Transnistria is a region in Eastern Europe that is under the effective control of the self-declared Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic but is recognized by the international community as an administrative unit of Moldova, the Administrative-Territ ...

File:Coat of arms of Belarus (2020).svg,

National emblem of Belarus The national emblem of Belarus features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a silhouette of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus, although in heraldic terms this is inaccurate as ...

File:Emblem of Italy.svg,

Emblem of Italy The emblem of the Italian Republic ( it, emblema della Repubblica Italiana) was formally adopted by the newly formed Italian Republic on 5 May 1948. Although often referred to as a coat of arms (or in Italian), it is an emblem as it was designe ...

File:Emblem of Angola.svg,

Emblem of Angola The emblem of Angola reflects the recent past of the new nation. There is heavy Marxist imagery found on the device (as can be seen when compared with other examples of socialist heraldry), expanded from what is found on the national flag. In t ...

File:Emblem of Mozambique.svg,

Emblem of Mozambique The national emblem of Mozambique was adopted in 1990 in the Constitution of Mozambique article 194. The article clearly states the design and meaning of the device. It shows a gear wheel, bordered by Maize, corn stalks and sugarcane. In the mid ...

File:Emblem of North Korea.svg,

Emblem of North Korea The emblem of North Korea is a national symbol adopted in 1993 by the state. Its design is modified from the former version in use from the founding of North Korea in 1948. Prominent features on the emblem are a red star, a hydroelectric pla ...

File:Emblem of Laos.svg,

Emblem of Laos The National Emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic shows the national shrine Pha That Luang. A dam is pictured, which is a symbol of power generation at the reservoir Nam Ngum. An asphalt street is also pictured, as well as a stylized w ...

File:National Emblem of the People's Republic of China (2).svg,

National Emblem of the People's Republic of China The National Emblem of the People's Republic of China contains in a red circle a representation of Tiananmen Gate, the entrance gate to the Forbidden City, where Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 19 ...

File:Emblem of Vietnam.svg,

Emblem of Vietnam The emblem of Vietnam (), formally the National emblem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam () is circular, has a red background and a yellow star in the middle which represent the five main classes in Vietnamese society—intellectuals, farmers ...

File:State arms of German Democratic Republic.svg, National emblem of East Germany

References

{{national symbols Coats of arms

Coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...