List of national mottos

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This page lists state and national mottos for the world's independent states. The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition and some extinct states are listed, but their names are not bolded.

A state motto is used to describe the intent or motivation of the state in a short phrase. For example, it can be included on a country's coat of arms, coins or banknotes. Some countries choose not to have a national motto.

[edit] A

•  Albania: Feja e Shqiptarit është Shqiptaria (Albanian, The Faith of the Albanians is Albanism)^[1]
•  Algeria: بالشعب و للشعب Bil-shaʿb wa lil-shaʿb (Arabic, By the people and for the people)^[2]
•  Andorra: Virtus, Unita, Fortior (Latin, Virtue, Unity, Strength)^[3]
•  Antigua and Barbuda: Each endeavouring, all achieving^[4]
•  Argentina: En Unión y Libertad (Spanish, In Union and Liberty)^[5]
•  Australia: none, formerly Advance Australia^[6]
•  Austria: formerly AEIOU, with one possible meaning being Austriae est imperare orbi universo (Latin, It is Austria's destiny to rule the world)
•  Austria-Hungary: Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter (Latin, Indivisibly and inseparably) ^[7]

[edit] B

•  Bahamas: Forward, Upward, Onward Together^[8]

The national motto is depicted by the four stars enshrined within the Coat of arms of Bangladesh.

•  Bangladesh: nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy
•  Barbados: Pride and Industry^[9]
•  Belgium: Eendracht maakt macht, L'union fait la force and Einigkeit gibt Stärke (Dutch, French and German, Unity gives Strength)^[10]
•  Belize: Sub umbra floreo (Latin, Under the shade I flourish)^[11]
•  Benin: Fraternité, Justice, Travail (French, Fellowship, Justice, Labour)^[12]
•  Bermuda: "Quo fata ferunt" (Latin: Whither the fates carry us)^{[citation needed]}
•  Bolivia: La Unión es la Fuerza (Spanish, Unity is Strength)^[13]

The national motto of Bolivia, La Unión es la Fuerza (Unity is Strength), is inscribed on the national currency.

•  Botswana: Pula (Tswana, Rain)^[14]

The national motto of Brazil, Ordem e progresso (Order and progress), is inscribed on the flag.

•  Brazil: Ordem e progresso (Portuguese, Order and progress)^[15]
  • Empire of Brazil - Independência ou Morte! (Portuguese, Independence or Death!)
•  Brunei: الدائمون المحسنون بالهدى (Arabic, Always in service with God's guidance)^[16]
•  Bulgaria: Съединението прави силата (Bulgarian, Union Makes Strength)^[17]
•  Burkina Faso: Unité, Progrès, Justice (French, Unity, Progress, Justice)^[18]
•  Burundi: Unité, Travail, Progrès (French, Unity, Work, Progress)^[19]

[edit] C

•  Cambodia: Nation, Religion, King^[20]
•  Cameroon: Paix - Travail - Patrie (French, Peace, Work, Fatherland)^[21]
•  Canada: A mari usque ad mare (Latin, From sea to sea)^[22]
•  Central African Republic: Unité, Dignité, Travail (French, Unity, Dignity, Work)^[23]
•  Chad: Unité, Travail, Progrès (French, Unity, Work, Progress)^[24]
•  Chile: Por la razón o la fuerza (Spanish, By reason or by strength)^[25]
•  Colombia: Libertad y orden (Spanish, Freedom and order)^[26]
•  Comoros: Unité, Justice, Progrès (French, Unity, justice, progress)^[27]
•  Confederate States of America: Deo Vindice (Latin, Under God, Our Vindicator)^[28]
•  Democratic Republic of the Congo: Justice - Paix - Travail (French, Justice, Peace, Work)^[29]
•  Republic of the Congo: Unité, Travail, Progrès (French, Unity, Work, Progress)^[30]
•  Costa Rica: Vivan siempre el trabajo y la paz (Spanish, Long live work and peace)^{[citation needed]}
•  Côte d'Ivoire: Union, Discipline, Travail (French, Unity, Discipline, Labor)^[31]
•  Cuba: Patria o muerte (Spanish, Homeland or death)^[32]
•  Czech Republic: Pravda vítězí! (Czech, Truth prevails!)^[33]

[edit] D

•  Denmark: Motto of Queen Margrethe II: Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke (Danish, God's help, the love of the people, Denmark's strength)
•  Djibouti: Itixaad, Gudboonaan, Ammaan and Unité, Égalité, Paix (Somali and French: Unity, Equality, Peace)^[34]
•  Dominica: Après Bondie, C'est la Ter (French Patois, After the Good Lord, we love the Earth)^[35]
•  Dominican Republic: Dios, Patria, Libertad (Spanish, God, Country, Liberty)^[36]

[edit] E

•  East Timor: Honra, pátria e povo (Portuguese, Honour, homeland and people)^[37]
•  Ecuador: Dios, patria y libertad (Spanish, God, homeland and liberty)^{[citation needed]}
•  El Salvador: Dios, Unión, Libertad (Spanish, God, Union, Liberty)^[38]
•  Equatorial Guinea: Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Spanish, Unity, Peace, Justice)^[39]
•  European Union: In varietate concordia (Latin for United in diversity, Unis dans la diversité, etc.Translated into the languages of the member states of the EU)^[40]

The obverse of the French 1 euro coins displays the national motto, Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, equality, fraternity).

[edit] F

•  Fiji: Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui (Fijian, Fear God and honour the Queen)^[41]
•  France: Liberté, égalité, fraternité (French, Liberty, equality, fraternity)^[42]

[edit] G

•  Gabon: Union, Travail, Justice (French, Union, Work, Justice)^[43]
•  Gambia: Progress,Peace, Prosperity^[44]
•  Georgia: ძალა ერთობაშია! (Dzala ertobashia) (Georgian, Strength is in Unity)^[45]
•  Germany and  West Germany: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit, (German, Unity and Justice and Freedom)
•  East Germany: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!", (German, Workers of the world, unite!)
•  German Empire: Gott mit uns (German language, God with us)
•  Ghana: Freedom and Justice^[46]
•  Greece: Ελευθερία ή θάνατος (Eleutheria i thanatos) (Greek: Liberty or Death)
•  Grenada: Ever Conscious of God We Aspire, and Advance as One People^[47]
•  Guatemala: Libre Crezca Fecundo (Spanish: Grow Free and Fertile)^[48]
•  Guinea: Travail, Justice, Solidarité (French, Work, Justice, Solidarity)^[49]
•  Guinea-Bissau: Unidade, Luta, Progresso (Portuguese, Unity, Struggle, Progress)^[50]
•  Guyana: One People, One Nation, One Destiny^[51]

[edit] H

•  Haiti: L'union fait la force (French, Unity makes strength)^[52]
•  Honduras: Libre, Soberana E Independiente(Spanish, Free, sovereign and independent)^[53]
•  Hungary: formerly Regnum Mariae Patrona Hungariae (Latin, Kingdom of Mary, the Patron of Hungary)

The national emblem of India has includes the motto Satyameva Jayate which means 'Truth alone triumphs' in Sanskrit

The flag of Iraq displays the national motto, Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great).

[edit] I

•  India: सत्यमेव जयते (Satyameva Jayate) (Sanskrit, Truth alone triumphs)^[54]
•  Indonesia: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Old Javanese, Unity in diversity)^[55]
•  Iran:
  • de facto: استقلال، آزادى، جمهورى اسلامى Esteqlāl, āzādī, jomhūrī-ye eslāmī^[56] (Persian, Independence, freedom, (the) Islamic Republic)
  • de jure: Allaho Akbar (Arabic, Allah is Great)^[57]
  • The imperial motto, before the Islamic revolution, was Marā dād farmūd-o khod dāvar ast (Persian, Justice He bids me do, as He will judge me).^[58]
•  Iraq: الله أكبر (Allahu Akbar) (Arabic, Allah is Great)^[59]

• Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946): Foedere et Religione Tenemur (FERT) (Latin, We are held together by pact and by religion)

[edit] J

•  Jamaica: Out of many, One People^[60]
•  Jordan: الله الوطن المليك (Allāh, Al-Waṭan, Al-Malīk) God, country, sovereign

The motto of Kiribati, Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa (Health, Peace and Prosperity), is shown on the coat of arms.

[edit] K

•  Kenya: Harambee (Swahili, Let's work together)^[61]
•  Kiribati: Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa (Kiribati, Health, Peace and Prosperity)^[62]
•  North Korea: 강성대국 (强盛大國, Gangseong Daeguk) (Korean, Prosperous and great country)
•  South Korea: 홍익인간 (弘益人間, Hongik Ingan) (Korean, Benefit all mankind)

[edit] L

•  Laos: Peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity^[63]
•  Latvia: Tēvzemei un Brīvībai (Latvian, For Fatherland and Freedom)^{[citation needed]}
•  Lesotho: Khotso, Pula, Nala (Sotho, Peace, Rain, Prosperity)^[64]
•  Liberia: The love of liberty brought us here^[65]
•  Liechtenstein: Für Gott, Fürst und Vaterland (German, For God, Prince and Fatherland)^{[citation needed]}
•  Lithuania: Tautos jėga vienybėje (Lithuanian, The strength of the nation lies in unity)
•  Luxembourg: Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn (Luxembourgish, We wish to remain what we are)^[66]

[edit] M

•  Macedonia: Слобода или смрт! (Sloboda ili smrt!) (Macedonian, Freedom or Death!)
•  Madagascar: Tanindrazana, Fahafahana, Fandrosoana (Malagasy, Ancestral-land, Liberty, Progress)^[67]
•  Malawi: Unity and Freedom^[68]
•  Malaysia: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu (Malay, Unity is Strength)^[69]
•  Mali: Un peuple, un but, une foi (French, One people, one goal, one faith)^[70]
•  Mauritania: شرف إخاء عدالة or Honneur, Fraternité, Justice (Arabic and French, Honor, Fraternity, Justice)^[71]
•  Mauritius: Stella Clavisque Maris Indici (Latin, Star and key of the Indian Ocean)^[72]
•  Monaco: Deo juvante (Latin, With God's help)^[73]
•  Montenegro: Čojstvo i junaštvo / Чојство и јунаштво (Serbian, Chivalry and heroism )^{[citation needed]}
•  Morocco: الله، الوطن، الملك (Arabic, God, the Country, the King)^[74]

[edit] N

•  Namibia: Unity, liberty, justice^[75]
•  Nauru: God's will first^[76]
•  Nepal: जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरियसि (Sanskrit, Mother and motherland are greater than heaven)^[77]
•  Netherlands: Je maintiendrai, Ik zal handhaven (French, Dutch I will preserve)^[78]
•  New Zealand: none, formerly Onward^[79]
•  Nicaragua: En Dios Confiamos (Spanish, In God We Trust)^[80]
•  Niger: Fraternité, Travail, Progrès (French, Fraternity, Work, Progress)^[81]
•  Nigeria: Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress^[82]
•  Norway: Royal motto: Alt for Norge (Norwegian, Everything for Norway)

[edit] O

• Ottoman empire : دولت ابد مدت (Ottoman Turkish, The Eternal State)

[edit] P

The coat of arms of Pakistan displays the national motto, Īmān, Ittiḥād, Tanẓīm. (Urdu Unity, Faith, Discipline.

The coat of arms of Panama displays the national motto, Pro mundi beneficio (Latin for For the benefit of the world).

•  Pakistan: Ittihad, Yaqeen-mukkam, Nizam (Urdu, Unity, Faith, Discipline)^[83]
•  Panama: Pro mundi beneficio (Latin, For the benefit of the world)^[84]
•  Papua New Guinea: Unity in Diversity^{[citation needed]}
•  Paraguay: Paz y justicia (Spanish, Peace and justice)^[85]
•  Peru: Firme y feliz por la unión (Spanish, Steady and Happy for the Union). Unofficial, used in the reverse of Peruvian sol coins.
•  Philippines: Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa (Tagalog, For God, People, Nature and Country)^[86]
  • Former: Isang bansa, isang diwa (Tagalog, One nation, one spirit)
•  Poland: No official motto. Among the unofficial ones Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna (Polish, God, Honor, Fatherland). See also Unofficial mottos of Poland.
•  Portugal:"O bem da Nação" (Portuguese, The good of the nation)^{[citation needed]}

Kingdom of Portugal 1179-1910 "vis unita maior nunc et semper" (Latin,"Unity is the biggest strength, now and forever"^{[citation needed]}

•  Prussia: Suum cuique (Latin, To each his own）

[edit] R

• Roman Republic and Roman Empire: Senatus Populusque Romanus (Latin, The Senate and people of Rome, often abbreviated SPQR)
•  Romania: formerly Nihil Sine Deo (Latin, Nothing without God) and before that Toţi în unu (Romanian, All in one).
•  Rwanda: Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu (Kinyarwanda, Unity, Work, Patriotism)^[87]
•  Russian Empire - С нами Бог (God is with us)

[edit] S

•  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic: حرية ديمقراطية وحدة Ḥurrīyah Dīmuqrāṭīyah Waḥdah (Arabic, Liberty, Democracy, Unity)^[88]
•  Saint Kitts and Nevis: Country Above Self^[89]
•  Saint Lucia: The land, the people, the light^[90]
•  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Pax et justitia (Latin, Peace and justice)^[91]
•  Samoa: Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa (Samoan, God be the Foundation of Samoa)^[92]
•  San Marino: Libertas (Latin, Liberty)^[93]
•  Scotland:In My Defens God Me Defend (Often shown abbreviated as IN DEFENS)
•  Saudi Arabia: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (Lā ilāhā illā-llāh; Muhammadu-r-rasūlu-llāh) (Arabic, (from the shahada) There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet)^[94]
•  Senegal: Un peuple, un but, une foi (French, One people, one goal, one faith)^[95]
•  Serbia: Само Слога Србина Спасава (Serbian), "Only Unity Saves the Serbs".
  •  Kingdom of Serbia: С Вером у Бога - за Краља и Отаџбину (Serbian), With faith in God - for King and Fatherland. (-1943)

The inescutcheon stands for the Serbian Nation; in a red shield, a cross between four silver firesteels arranged in the quarters around it, all of them facing horizontally outwards. The four silver firesteels stands for the Serbian letters S (C); Само Слога Србина Спасава (Only Unity Saves the Serbs).

•  Seychelles: Finis coronat opus (Latin, The end crowns the work)^[96]
•  Sierra Leone: Unity, freedom, justice^[97]
•  Singapore: Majulah Singapura (Malay, Onward Singapore)^[98]
•  Slovakia: no motto
  • Slovak Republic (1939–1945): Verní sebe, svorne napred! (Slovak, Faithful to ourserlves, together ahead!)
  •  Czechoslovakia (1918-1939 and 1945-1992): Pravda víťazí! (Slovak, Truth prevails!)
•  Solomon Islands: To lead is to serve^[99]
•  South Africa: !ke e: /xarra //ke (/Xam, Diverse people unite or Unity in Diversity)^[100]
  • Former: Ex Unitate Vires (Latin, From unity, strength, from 1910-2000)
•  Soviet Union: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Russian, Proletarians of all countries, unite!)
•  Spain: Plus Ultra (Latin, Further beyond)^[101]
  • Former: Una, grande y libre (Spanish, One, great and free, during Francisco Franco's dictatorship)^[101]
•  Sudan: النصر لنا (An-Naṣr Linā: Arabic, Victory is Ours)^[102]
•  Suriname: Justitia, pietas, fides (Latin, Justice, piety, loyalty)^[103]
•  Swaziland: Siyinqaba (Swati, We are the fortress)^[104]
•  Sweden: royal motto: För Sverige - i tiden (Swedish, For Sweden - With the times) (See all royal mottos)
•  Switzerland: Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin for One for all, all for one.)
•  Syria: وحدة ، حرية ، اشتراكية (Waḥdah, Ḥurrīyah, Ishtirākīyah) (Arabic, Unity, Freedom, Socialism) Ba'th Party

[edit] T

•  Tanzania: Uhuru na Umoja (Swahili, Freedom and Unity)^[105]
•  Thailand: ชาติ ศาสนา พระมหากษัตริย์ (Thai, Nation, Religion, King)
•  Togo: Travail, Liberté, Patrie (French, Work, liberty, homeland)^[106]
•  Tonga: Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku tofiʻa (Tongan, God and Tonga are my Inheritance)^[107]
•  Trinidad and Tobago: Together we aspire, together we achieve^[108]
•  Tunisia: حرية، نظام، عدالة Ḥurrīyah, Niẓām,ʿAdālah (Arabic, Freedom, Order and Justice)^[109]
•  Turkey: Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız milletindir. (Turkish, Sovereignty rests unconditionally with the nation)^[110]
  and Yurtta sulh, cihanda sulh. (Turkish, Peace in the homeland, peace in the world.)^[111]Ne mutlu Türküm diyene! (Turkish, What a happiness to say, I am Turk!)^[110]
•  Tuvalu: Tuvalu mo te Atua (Tuvaluan, Tuvalu for the Almighty)^[112]

[edit] U

•  Uganda: For God and My Country^[113]
•  United Kingdom: Dieu et mon droit (French, God and my right.) (royal motto)^[114]

The national motto of the United States is In God we trust, as shown on the reverse of the United States one-dollar bill.

•  United States: In God We Trust (official) and E pluribus unum (Latin, Out of many, one) (de-facto)
  • See also list of U.S. state and territory mottos
•  Uruguay: Libertad o Muerte (Spanish, "Liberty or Death")^[115]

[edit] V

•  Vanuatu: Long God yumi stanap (Bislama, Let us stand firm in God)^[116]
•  Venezuela: Dios y Federación (Spanish, God and Federation)
•  Vietnam: Ðộc lập, Tự do, Hạnh phúc (Vietnamese, Independence, Liberty and Happiness)

[edit] W

•  Wales: Cymru am byth (Welsh, Wales Forever)

[edit] Z

•  Zambia: One Zambia, One country^[117]
•  Zimbabwe: Unity, Freedom, Work^[118]

[edit] References