The hammer and sickle is a communist symbol representing proletarian solidarity between agricultural and industrial workers. It was first adopted during the Russian Revolution at the end of World War I, the hammer representing workers and the sickle representing the peasants.
The national flag of Angola came into use when Angola gained independence on November 11, 1975. It is split horizontally into an upper red half and a lower black half with an emblem resting at the center. It features a yellow half gear wheel crossed by a machete and crowned with a star.
The national emblem of Cape Verde contains a circle within which is written the name of the nation in Portuguese. Within the circle are a torch and triangle, symbols of freedom and national unity. At the top of the shield is a plumbob, a symbol of righteousness; three chain links are at the bottom. This emblem replaces the earlier variant with the seashell that had been in use since independence. The current emblem was adopted in 1999.
The Emblem of Guinea-Bissau was adopted shortly after independence from Portugal in 1973.
The coat of arms of Brazil was created on 19 November 1889, four days after Brazil became a republic. It consists of the central emblem surrounded by coffee and tobacco branches, which were important crops in Brazil at that time. In the round shield in the center, the Southern Cross can be seen. The ring of 27 stars around it represents Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District.
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. It has been widely used in flags, state emblems, monuments, ornaments, and logos.
The coat of arms of Zimbabwe was adopted on 21 September 1981, one year and five months after the national flag was adopted. Previously the coat of arms of Zimbabwe was identical to the former coat of arms of Rhodesia.
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 Kingdom of Portugal since the Middle Ages. The coat of arms of Portugal is popularly referred as the Quinas.
The Regional Emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China came into use on 20 December 1999, when the sovereignty of Macau was handed over from the Portuguese Republic to the People's Republic of China. The emblem is now referred to officially as the "Regional Emblem" (區徽).
The national emblem of East Timor is one of the national symbols of East Timor.
The national emblem of Mozambique was adopted in 1990 in the Constitution of Mozambique Article 194, which states the design and meaning of the device. It shows a gearwheel bordered by corn stalks and sugarcane. In the middle, there is a red sun over a map of the country in green, blue waves, an AK-47 crossed with a hoe, and a book. The wreath is tied to a ribbon bearing the name of the country. The emblem is rendered in a socialist heraldry style similar to those used by the republics of the Soviet Union.
The coat of arms of the Azores is nine gold stars superimposed on a red bordure, representing the nine islands of the archipelago. The bordure surrounds a silver shield on which a blue goshawk is displayed with wings elevated and with red feet, beak, and tongue. The crest is a closed helm in gold lined with red, surmounted by a wreath and mantling of silver and blue, topped by another blue eagle on which are superimposed the same nine gold stars.
The coat of arms of São Tomé and Príncipe consists of a peregrine falcon on the left and a grey parrot on the right holding a coat of arms with a palm in its center. The coat of arms is surmounted by a blue star. Above, there is a band that states the name of the country. At the base of the arms the national motto, "Unity, discipline, work" is inscribed.
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 from heraldic tradition in order to distance themselves from the monarchies that they usually replaced, with coats of arms being seen as symbols of the monarchs.
The Emblem of Eritrea was adopted on 24 May 1993 on the occasion of Eritrea's declaration of independence from Ethiopia. The national emblem mainly depicts a camel surrounded by an olive wreath.
The Emblem of Goa is the official emblem of the Government of Goa, a state of India.
The coats of arms of the Portuguese Empire's colonies were all of a uniform style following 1935. Two of them had, however, been using provisional coats of arms of the same style shortly prior to this.
The symbols of Portugal are official and unofficial flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Portugal and of its culture.
A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag 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 of the government or the head of state personally and tends to be used in print, on armorial ware, 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 or arms of sovereignty.
Communist symbolism represents a variety of themes, including revolution, the proletariat, the peasantry, agriculture, or international solidarity. The red flag, the hammer and sickle and the red star or variations thereof are some of the symbols adopted by communist movements, governments, and parties worldwide.
