Flag of Fiji
Fiji's flag is light blue with the British Union Jack in the top corner by the flagpole and the shield from Fiji's coat of arms on the other side.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 10, 1970
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Suva
- Continent
- Oceania
- Colours
- light blue
- dark blue
- red
- white
What it means
- Light blue: the Pacific Ocean, important for fishing and tourism
- Union Jack: Fiji's history as a British colony
- Lion with a cocoa pod: the link with Britain
- Sugarcane, coconut palm and bananas: Fiji's farming and crops
- Dove with an olive branch: peace; it comes from the flag of the old Kingdom of Fiji
Where it came from
The flag was chosen in a national competition before independence. The competition was won jointly by Tessa Mackenzie and Robi Wilcock.
It is based on the British blue ensign that the colony used before 1970, but with a lighter blue and only the shield instead of the full coat of arms.
History
Before Britain took over in 1874, Fijian kingdoms and confederations used several flags. The Kingdom of Fiji (1871-1874) had a white and light blue flag with a dove on a red shield.
The current flag was first raised on independence day, 10 October 1970. It stayed the same when Fiji became a republic in 1987. In 2015 the government started a contest to replace it, and over 2,000 designs were sent in, but in August 2016 the plan was dropped, partly because Fijians had celebrated their first Olympic gold medal, in rugby sevens, under the old flag.
Fun facts
- A plan to change the flag was cancelled partly because of an Olympic gold medal in rugby.
- The shield on the flag was first granted as a coat of arms in 1908.
Easy to mix up with
New Zealand: New Zealand also has the Union Jack in the corner, but on dark blue with four red stars
Australia: Australia has the Union Jack on dark blue with white stars
Questions
What does the flag of Fiji look like?
Fiji's flag is light blue with the British Union Jack in the top corner by the flagpole and the shield from Fiji's coat of arms on the other side.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Fiji mean?
Light blue: the Pacific Ocean, important for fishing and tourism; Union Jack: Fiji's history as a British colony; Lion with a cocoa pod: the link with Britain; Sugarcane, coconut palm and bananas: Fiji's farming and crops; Dove with an olive branch: peace; it comes from the flag of the old Kingdom of Fiji.
When was the flag of Fiji adopted?
The current flag of Fiji was adopted on October 10, 1970.
What colours are on the flag of Fiji?
The flag of Fiji uses light blue, dark blue, red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Fiji?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of New Zealand. New Zealand also has the Union Jack in the corner, but on dark blue with four red stars
Famous landmarks in Fiji
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)