MANUELA CAIZARES HIGH SCHOOL

NAME: Ana Beln Taipe

CLASS: 2nd L BI

ENGLISH HOMEWORK
ECUADORIAN SHIELDS DAY
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHIELD
On October 31, we celebrate the day of our National Emblem or Coat of Arms, which was
approved in 1900 by the National Congress during the presidency of General Eloy Alfaro
Delgado and designed by master Peter Paul Traversari.

In the lower part cutting the horizon the Chimborazo, one

of the highest mounts of the Andes can be seen under blue
sky. The River Guayas is born from the snow of Chimborazo
and this river acrossing fertile lands downwards through
the coast of the Pacific Ocean and flowing into the ocean
symbolizes the brotherhood of all Ecuadorians.

A steamboat ploughs the wide part of the river. Its an

allusion to the first steamboat built in the Pacific coast in the
docks of Guayaquil in 1841 and has an olive branch
decorated with garlands as a mast, its symbol of the
shipping and the commerce.

The shield rests on a consular Roman bundle of sticks

(fasces), its the emblem of the authority of the Republic
composed by a bunch of sticks fastened with a ribbon
which wraps an axe. Four national flags surround the
shield , two of these on handles of lances, these were the
main weapons used in the battles for the independence,
and two on handles of halberds symbolizing the custody of
the constructed power, and in their centre two branches
appear, one is that of a palm symbolizing the martyrism of
those who gave us the liberty (at that time the phrase the
palm of martyrism was used to be said), and the other is
that of a laurel symbolizing the triumph and a glory. Some
shields of the arms are drawn wrongly, as olive branch is
represented instead of palm and laurel. The palm and laurel
branches are what count in the decree of the arms. In the upper part of the shield the
Andean condor is rising up spreading its wings symbolizing the power, greatness and
pride
SOME CHANGES:

1) From 1821 the Free Province of Guayaquil used a white five-pointed star on blue field,
surrounded by two laurel branches and the scroll "POR GUAYAQUIL INDEPENDIENTE".

2) While Ecuador was part of Greater Colombia, its arms were those in the 6th October
1821 Law decreed by the Cucuta Congress, the cornucopies or 'horns of plenty', bound
with a tricolour tape, and with the words Republica de Colombia around it.

3) The 27th September 1830, the Constituent Congress meeting at Riobamba designed the
arms of Ecuador thus: "the arms of Colombia will be used, a light blue field with a sun in
the equinox over the phases and a scroll 'El Ecuador en Colombia'".

4) About 1836 and at least in 1846 around Coa with two mountains and two doves
carrying olive branches was used. On the sky, the sun amongst the signs of Leo, Scorpio,
Balance and Virgo and seven stars over them. Beneath the mountains, a circular scroll
'Republica del Ecuador' surrounded by olive and laurel branches.

5) A decree was passed during the third mandate of General Flores, stating that "the [coat
of] arms of the Republic will have a rectangular chief and a elliptical base. Its field will be
divided into three quarters: the uppermost blue with the sun setting over a section of the
Zodiac; the middle one divided into two, right a gold field with an open book with the
Roman numerals I through IV indicating chapters of the Constitution, left a green field
with a horse; the lowermost again divided into two, right a blue field with a river and a
ship on it, left a silver field with a volcano. A condor with displayed wings on the top and
flags and trophies at the sides.

6) The 1900 congress established the Coa as is known today, with the tricolour restored
by Garcia Moreno in 1860, after the Jambeli victory where the Peruvian invaders sent by
Castilla were expelled.

EVOLUTION

WEB SITES:

https://tayoscave.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/day-of-the-arms-of-ecuador/
http://hazteverecuador.com/31-de-octubre-dia-del-escudo-de-ecuador-historia-
completa/