Flag of Fiji

What the flag means

Tessa Mackenzie, one of the designers, chose the pale blue to represent the sea. The Union Jack refers to Fiji's ties with the United Kingdom. The shield comes from arms granted in 1908 and shows sugar cane, a coconut palm, a dove with an olive branch and bananas, below a lion holding a cocoa pod.

History

Tessa Mackenzie and Robi Wilcock sent identical designs to a national competition, and the flag was first flown at Albert Park, Suva, on 10 October 1970. It was kept when Fiji became a republic in 1987. On 3 February 2015 Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced that it would be replaced, and more than 2,000 designs were submitted. On 17 August 2016 the government dropped the plan, saying the flag should not change for the foreseeable future.

Fiji is the only republic among the independent countries whose national flag includes the Union Jack.

Earlier flags of Fiji

1. 1924–1970Colonial Blue Ensign with the Fiji coat of arms in the fly