national icon
Patriotic cultural emblem
A national icon is a person, place, object, or symbol widely recognized as representing a nation's identity or values.
The Statue of Liberty is an American national icon; Big Ben serves as one for Britain.
National icons often appear in tourism, patriotic displays, and cultural shorthand: The bald eagle became a national icon.
The term can apply to celebrated figures—athletes, artists, leaders—who embody something essential about their country's character.
- Machu PicchuIncan sanctuary in Peru
- AustralianaCultural items from down under
- Eiffel TowerIron lattice monument, Paris
- Napoleon BonaparteFrench military dictator
- folk heroCelebrated figure from tradition
Nelson Mandela · Frida Kahlo · Che Guevara · Mother Teresa · Winston Churchill · George Washington · Marianne · Statue of Liberty · maple leaf · Martin Luther King Jr. · John Bull · cultural symbol · Mahatma Gandhi · Great Wall of China · Mount Rushmore · Taj Mahal · statue · eagle