# Colombia's coat of arms looks like Nintendo animation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755 "2006-12-03T23:56:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/41 "2006-12-05T04:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] On the front of the Great Seal is an obscene looking eagle who’s…um…spread eagle (where the hell does that expression come from, anyway?) in a most unnatural manner. I mean, really, does that look like an anatomically possible position for an eagle? [/QUOTE] Actually, that’s a traditional heraldic position for an eagle or other bird of prey, known as “an eagle displayed.” No, not too anatomically likely, but then again neither is a [lion rampant.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Royal_Arms_of_Scotland.png) [QUOTE=SurrenderDorothy] I’m sorry… VAGINA DENTATA??? I want to google it to find out what it is… but I don’t. [/quote] _[Vagina dentata, what a wonderful phrase Vagina dentata, ain’t no passin’ craze It means no weiner, for the rest of your days It’s a penis-free girl cavity, Vagina Dentata](http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051017.html)_ ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/42 "2006-12-05T05:00:17Z")
[Libya](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Libya.svg)’s is a total cop-out. [Cuba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Cuba.svg) is everything [Puerto Rico](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Puerto_Rico.svg) is not. [Chad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Chad.svg) == [Romania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Romania.svg) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/43 "2006-12-05T12:14:57Z")
[QUOTE=Bambi Hassenpfeffer] [Chad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Chad.svg) == [Romania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Romania.svg) [/QUOTE] How in the hell is that even allowed? I thought there was some sort of international agreement about national flags not being identical. [Andorra’s arms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Andorra_coa.png) look an awful lot like [Link’s.](http://zs.ffshrine.org/album/legend-of-zelda/boxart/box.jpg) [Azerbaijan’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Azerbaijan_coa.png) is a ninja star - on fire. Also includes some lettuce and wheat, I don’t know what’s going on there. [Austria’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Austria_Bundesadler.svg) has the imperial eagle, symbol of, like, imperialness, but it wields a hammer and sickle, symbol of the proletariat. I’m confused. Plus there’s some broken chains for that extra touch of “Hunhhh?” [Czech Republic’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Czech_Republic.svg) knows how to party. [Dominican Republic’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Dominican_Republic.svg) has an arrangement of several national flags on a shield with the flag pattern on it. Seriously guys, what the fuck? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/44 "2006-12-05T15:49:35Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] [Andorra’s arms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Andorra_coa.png) look an awful lot like [Link’s.](http://zs.ffshrine.org/album/legend-of-zelda/boxart/box.jpg) [/QUOTE] Uh, for Andorra I’m seeing: mitre, stripes, stripes, two cows. For Link, I’m seeing heart, key, lion rampant reversed, heart. Is it just because they’re quartered? Because that’s [not](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Royal_Arms_1837.PNG) [that](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Central_african_coa.png) [uncommon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Uruguay_coa.svg). ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/45 "2006-12-05T15:58:56Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] How in the hell is that even allowed? I thought there was some sort of international agreement about national flags not being identical. [/QUOTE] This will only become a noticeable problem when we film them on the battlefields of the Great Chad-Romanian War 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/46 "2006-12-05T16:03:44Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Australia prides itself on being one of the few countries (perhaps the only one?) that eats all the animals on its coat of arms. Both emu and kangaroo can be found on the menu in some Australian restaurants. [/QUOTE] Really? How often do you see lion meat on the menu? (And there are two lions on the coat of arms, for NSW and Tasmania) Me, I prefer the simple (but traditional) designs, like Ireland and Japan. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/47 "2006-12-05T16:51:29Z")
Oh god, coats of arms? Don’t remind me of ours - See it here: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SouthAfricancoatofarms.gif](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SouthAfricancoatofarms.gif) 1. It’s not in heraldic colours - dark brown on light brown is some shitty contrast, people. 2. It’s rock art, that’s not very heraldic, and only is culturally relevant to \<1% of the population 3. 95% of the population can’t pronounce the motto. We have **11 fucking official languages** , and it’s in \*\*none \*\*of them. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/48 "2006-12-05T17:06:55Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] This will only become a noticeable problem when we film them on the battlefields of the Great Chad-Romanian War 😃 [/QUOTE] Actually, Chad and Romania **were** on opposite sides in a major war within living memory, though fortunately there were no battles between the two countries directly. In World War II, Chad furnished one full division who fought under a Free French general, marching from Chad through Libya to fight against the Afrika Corps. (They were the forces which officially liberated Paris, by the way.) Romania’s _dictateur du jour_ provided something like 15 divisions as Nazi allies in the invasion of the Ukraine. (Romania annexed something called Transnistria, which is taking irredentism just a tad too far IMO.) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/49 "2006-12-05T18:02:13Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] How in the hell is that even allowed? I thought there was some sort of international agreement about national flags not being identical. [/quote] Ah yes, the Baden-Baden “Stop Copying Me!” Accords. > [@](#): > > [Azerbaijan’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Azerbaijan_coa.png) is a ninja star - on fire. Also includes some lettuce and wheat, I don’t know what’s going on there. Ninja death salad? > [@](#): > > [Czech Republic’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Czech_Republic.svg) knows how to party. I didn’t know Andy Warhol did flags. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/50 "2006-12-05T20:45:33Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] Actually, Chad and Romania **were** on opposite sides in a major war within living memory, though fortunately there were no battles between the two countries directly. [/QUOTE] Since Chad was part of French Equitorial Africa at the time, they flew the French flag- although I presume the yellow stripe in the Romanian flag could easily be confused for white if you were looking at black-and-white film. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/51 "2006-12-05T21:06:56Z")
[New Zealand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_New_Zealand) does nothing to dispel those nasty ovine rumours by depicting a sheep in a Sling Room. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/52 "2006-12-05T21:36:01Z")
What about [Norfolk Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Norfolk_Island), with their heart-stirring motto emblazoned across the bottom? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/53 "2006-12-05T22:22:57Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Since Chad was part of French Equitorial Africa at the time, they flew the French flag- although I presume the yellow stripe in the Romanian flag could easily be confused for white if you were looking at black-and-white film. [/QUOTE] _De jure_, you’re entirely correct. But remember that the government of France was the Vichy semi-puppet of Germany, and the colonial administrators were on their own to figure out what to do: support Vichy, support the Free French, stay neutral, declare independence, or dither. [Felix Eboue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_%C3%89bou%C3%A9), Governor of Chad and a black creole from French Guinea, led Chad to throw in its lot with the Free French, the **first** geographic entity to back them. I have no idea what the Chadian emblems were as a French colony, or even if there were any. I raised the point as a light-hearted rejoinder to the “Great Chad-Romania War” – the irony being that they effectively chose to fight on opposite sides in WWII. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/54 "2006-12-05T22:30:12Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] Uh, for Andorra I’m seeing: mitre, stripes, stripes, two cows. For Link, I’m seeing heart, key, lion rampant reversed, heart. Is it just because they’re quartered? [/QUOTE] No, not just that. The shields are the same shape and the art is relatively simple. Your other examples have different shield shapes and more ornate art. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/55 "2006-12-06T02:00:02Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] I raised the point as a light-hearted rejoinder to the “Great Chad-Romania War” – the irony being that they effectively chose to fight on opposite sides in WWII. [/QUOTE] I realized that. I was just pointing out that if Chad and Romania _had_ fought each other during World War II, it would probably be difficult to discern which side is which, seeing as most war footage of the time was in black and white. (Although the two nations’ flags may not have been confused after all- the Romanians used a symbol in the middle of their flag until 1989- first a fascist one, then a communist.) As for flags that look similar, how about the three African nations of [Guinea](http://www.fotw.net/flags/gn.html), [Mali](http://www.fotw.net/flags/ml.html), and [Rwanda?](http://www.fotw.net/flags/rw-1962.html) Rwanda’s flag looked exactly the same as Guinea’s, so they added a giant “R” to discern it from Guinea. Mali, a mirror image of the two, originally had a human figure in the middle of their flag, but removed it due to pressure from the country’s Muslim population. Rwanda recently changed its flag since the old design brought back bad memories of the Rwandan civil war. So now we have Guinea and Mali, the two mirror-images of Africa. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/56 "2006-12-06T02:01:36Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] I was just pointing out that if Chad and Romania _had_ fought each other during World War II [/QUOTE] I should be more specific- if the two countries actually saw combat on the same battlefield. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/57 "2006-12-06T05:11:18Z")
I became highly, highly enamoured by the flag of the Caribbean Commonwealth protectorate, Turks & Caicos, during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this year. A friend and I spent several hours pondering the illustrations, and came up with the wrong answers, time and again. [What do you think](http://worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/cribbean/turkcaco.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/58 "2006-12-06T05:25:26Z")
I think it’s a public service announcement: Wear a condom to help prevent the spread of crabs. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/59 "2006-12-06T05:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] They’ve got nothing on [PNG](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Papua_New_Guinea_coa.gif/120px-Papua_New_Guinea_coa.gif). [/QUOTE] Cousin It, quit trying to hide behind the bird. We can all see you. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755/60 "2006-12-06T05:28:29Z")
[QUOTE=araminty] I became highly, highly enamoured by the flag of the Caribbean Commonwealth protectorate, Turks & Caicos, during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this year. A friend and I spent several hours pondering the illustrations, and came up with the wrong answers, time and again. [What do you think](http://worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/cribbean/turkcaco.htm)? [/QUOTE] It’s a concise pitch to prospective tourists: _Turks and Caicos. Come for the seafood. Stay for the pussy. Play some badminton while you’re here._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colombias-coat-of-arms-looks-like-nintendo-animation/382755.md?page=4)