Giraffe - Angola

The current flag of Angola is stylized after the hammer and sickle flag of the former Soviet Union. The machete has replaced the hammer and the machine cog takes the place of the sickle. Both flags feature a gold star. The Angolan flag was adopted in November 1975, when the country achieved its independence.

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Giraffa giraffa - During the tertiary period, the Giraffidae family was represented by several species spread over Africa, Europe, and Asia. The giraffe and the okapi are the two remaining species from the family and their habitat is limited to Africa. Giraffes are the tallest animal; a mature bull can measure 6 meters. Being the tallest animal does provide access to soaring tree canopies, but makes it difficult to drink from a watering hole. The giraffe’s long legs can spread far enough to bring the long neck into contact with water.

Giraffe - Angola

Giraffes, with their long necks, long legs, and distinctive patterns, are one of the easiest animals to recognize. Male and female giraffes have “horns” protruding from their heads. These are called ossicones, formed through the ossification of cartilage. The appearance of the horns can determine the sex of an adult giraffe; females have tufts of hair sprouting from the ossicones tips and males do not. The males lose these tufts of hairs from the constant head butting between rivals during mating battles.

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Angola’s name is derived from the Bantu language. The term “Ngola” was the title given to the rulers of Ndongo, a kingdom centered in the northern highlands of present day Angola. The kingdom flourished from the 14th to the 17th century. The coastal areas began to fall under Portuguese control beginning in the 17th century and remained under Portuguese rule until independence was granted in 1975. From 1975 until 2002, when a peaceful settlement was negotiated, Angola suffered a long and brutal civil war.

Giraffes

There is ongoing debate in the taxonomy of the giraffe; taxonomy is the scientific classification of organisms. In 1758, Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus placed all extant giraffes within one species and labeled them as Cervus camelopardalis. Giraffes form two distinct groups; northern giraffes have three “horns” and southern giraffes have two. Four subspecies are proposed for the northern giraffe; the Nubian, Kordofan, Rothschild’s, and the West African giraffe. Four subspecies are also considered for the southern variety; the Angolan, South African, Masai, and Thornicroft’s giraffe. The reticulated giraffe, having three horns, is considered as a separate subspecies not related to either northern or southern variety. The color and shape of the polygonal markings are one item used to separate each group. Less than 100,000 giraffes of all varieties are estimated to be living in the wild.