Fiji
Trivia
Even though the country is no longer controlled by Britain the British Union Flag is still on the flag.
Technical Specifications
| Adopted | 10th October 1970 |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Design | A sky blue British ensign with national flag top left and the shield of the coat of arms centre right |
Brief History
In 1865 the Bau, Rewa, Cakaudrove, Macuata, Naduri and Lakeba joined together to create the United Tribes of Fiji. The flag adopted was a blue field with large white five-pointed star in the centre.
In 1867 the chief of Lakeba became president and the flag was changed to a blue field with half a sun with 30 rays and a crown with a cross top left.
The Flag of the United Tribes of Fiji (1865 – 1867)
The Flag of the United Tribes of Fiji (1867 – 1869)
The Kingdom of Lau was established in 1869 and a new flag with a white and red horizontal bicolour with a red cross top left was adopted.
In 1817 the country became the Kingdom of Fiji a white-blue vertical bicolour with a red shield and white dove below a crown with cross where the colours meet.
The Kingdom of Lau (1869-1871)
The Flag of the Kingdom of Fiji (1871 – 1874)
In 1874 Fiji became a British colony and the Union Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain was adopted. The country gained a British Blue Ensign in 1908 with a white disc and coat of arms.
The Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (1874 – 1970)
The Flag of the British Colony of Fiji (1908 – 1924)
In 1924 the white disc was removed and by 1970 the colour of the field was changed to a sky blue and the tribe members, banner and boat removed from the coat of arms on the flag.
From 1970 Fiji became a Dominion with the Queen of England still as the head of state. The flag was a sky blue field with a national flag top left and the shield of the coat of arms centre right.
When the country became a republic in 1987 the flag remained the same. There is a new flag of Fiji without any British design announced in July 2016.
The Flag of the British Colony of Fiji (1924 – 1970)
The Flag of Fiji (1970 to Present Day)
The Coat of Arms of Fiji
The Coat of Arms of Fiji was adopted in 1908. It features a shield with a ST. George’s Cross cutting the shield into quarters and a red vertical band with a golden lion. In the top left quarter is three sugar canes, the top right is a Cocoa-nut palm tree, lower left is dove with olive branch and the lower right portion is a bunch of bananas.
Two tribesman are protecting the shield with a boat above and a banner stating “FEAR GOD AND HONOUR THE QUEEN”.
The Standard of the President of Fiji
The Standard of the President of Fiji is a blue field with a gold outline of the coat of arms in the centre with a golden knot below.
The Flag of the Government of Fiji
The Flag of the Government of Fiji is similar to a British Blue Ensign with a plain blue field with the British Union Flag top left and the shield of the Coat of Arms centre right.
The Merchant Ensign of Fiji
The Merchant Ensign of Fiji is similar to a British Red Ensign with a plain red field, the British Union Flag top left and a shield of the Coat of Arms centre right.
The Flag of the Fiji Navy
The Flag of the Fiji Navy is a white ensign with the British Union Flag top left and the shield of the Coat of Arms centre right.
The Flag of the Fiji Civil Air
The Flag of the Fiji Civil Air is a sky blue field with a white-bordered dark blue cross, British Union Flag and shield of the Coat of Arms centre right.
