Flag of Fiji

Meaning and history of the flag of Fiji

Fiji's flag was adopted on October 10, 1970, the date the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. It features a light sky-blue field, setting it apart from the darker blue used by other former British colonies. The canton in the upper left carries the British Union Jack, a nod to Fiji's historical ties with Britain, while the right half of the flag displays Fiji's coat of arms.

The coat of arms is divided into quarters showing sugarcane, a coconut palm, a dove of peace carrying an olive branch, and a bunch of bananas -- all agricultural products central to the Fijian economy. Above the shield sits a traditional Fijian canoe called a takia, and crowning the whole design is a British lion holding a cocoa pod. The pale blue background represents the Pacific Ocean, essential to life on this island archipelago.

In 2015 Fiji held a referendum on redesigning the flag to drop the Union Jack as a colonial-era symbol, but the project was ultimately shelved. The current flag has kept its original design ever since, making Fiji one of the few Pacific nations still carrying the British ensign on its flag. Its lighter shade of blue also makes it easy to distinguish from the flags of Australia and New Zealand.

You can view the flag of Fiji in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Fiji profile, its map, or the current local time in Suva.