Flag of Fiji

The flag of Fiji was adopted on October 10, 1970 and has a design familiar to British colonial powers, although it no longer belongs to them and has gained independence, namely: “Union Jack” in the canton, the Fijian coat of arms on the right side of the flag and a blue background, which, by the way, has a lighter shade, as, for example, on the flag of the FSM or the flag of Tuvalu.

Meaning of the flag of Fiji

• Blue is the main sky blue color that covers the entire area of the flag. It symbolizes the characteristic features of the nation - peace and stability. Blue is also a symbol of an island nation surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. It reflects the people's way of life, trade, cultural traditions and the role of the sea in general;
• The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom. The use of this symbol is a reference and reminder of the times when Fiji was part of the United Kingdom. The retention of this symbol even after independence demonstrates respect and strong historical ties to the United Kingdom, which still play an important role in Fiji's development;
• The white shield is the main element of the flag, which distinguishes it from other similar flags used by the Union Jack. The shield is derived from the Fijian coat of arms, which additionally contains one warrior on the left and right side of the shield holding it, a takua (traditional Fijian canoe) above the shield, and the motto: “Rerevaka na Kalou ka doka na Tui”, which translates to ‘Fear God and honor the King’. This phrase comes from the New Testament, namely from the First Epistle of Peter, chapter 2, verse 17 (“Show due respect to all, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor”).

The white shield itself consists of the following elements:

• St. George's Cross - a red cross that divides the white shield into four parts and is also present on the British flag. This cross symbolizes Christian values and the colonial past;
• The golden lion at the top of the shield is also a British symbol, but it holds a cocoa bean in its paw, which is no longer a typical symbol of Britain, but is one of the valuable products grown on the islands. The lion is traditionally associated with masculinity and strength;
• The sugar cane, coconut palm and bunch of bananas represent agricultural activities on the islands, symbolize traditional ways of life and the wealth of resources;
• The white dove symbolizes peace, the desire for free life and harmony, and the white color is a symbol of purity, honesty, innocence and joy. The dove of peace holds an olive branch in its beak, a symbol of victory and prosperity.

Independent countries that retain the colonial symbol of Great Britain, the Union Jack, in their national flags

In addition to Fiji, which is a republic, the flags of five other independent countries, namely the flag of Australia (1), the flag of New Zealand (2), the flag of the Cook Islands (3), the flag of Niue (4) and the flag of Tuvalu (5), retain the Union Jack in their national flags. These countries have chosen to retain the Union Jack on their flags as a reminder of the past and to show some respect for the cultural and historical heritage of the United Kingdom.

Australia - Britain began to govern Australia since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, establishing the first settlement in Sydney as the colony of New South Wales. Australia officially became independent on January 1, 1901, when the six colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia, although actual independence from Britain occurred gradually, culminating in the passage of the Australia Act in 1986.
New Zealand - British rule began with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, when New Zealand became an official British colony. The country gained its independence in 1907, becoming a dominion.
The Cook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1901 were incorporated into New Zealand as its administrative territory. In 1965, the Cook Islands gained the status of a self-governing state of free association with New Zealand, which means broad autonomy in managing their own affairs, while their residents remain citizens of New Zealand.

Niue - The British protectorate over Niue was established in 1900, and a year later the island became part of the Cook Islands colony. In 1974, Niue gained free association status with New Zealand, which provides it with broad autonomy and the use of the Union Jack on the flag symbolizes historical ties with Britain.
Tuvalu - Tuvalu, together with the Ellis and Gilbert Islands, has been under British control since 1892, when they were united into a single protectorate and later into a colony in 1916. In 1974, the Ellis Islands seceded from the Gilbert Islands, and the separate colony of Tuvalu was created. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1978.

History of the Fiji flag

The first people to visit Fiji were Polynesian and Melanesian travelers who settled the islands about 3500 years ago. However, these islands were discovered by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1643. Later, in 1774, British Captain James Cook also visited Fiji during his travels. But the greatest influence was the British navigator William Bly, who in 1789, after the mutiny on the Bounty, sailed between the Fiji Islands. Captain William Bly was leading an expedition to transport breadfruit trees from Tahiti to the West Indies, but part of the crew, dissatisfied with his harsh leadership, mutinied under the leadership of Fletcher Christian. Bly and some of the crew members who supported him were put on a boat, but managed to survive and return to England after an extremely long and dangerous journey that required them to sail through the waters of Fiji. Although they did not land on the islands for fear of a hostile reception by the locals, Bly's voyage through Fiji's waters was one of the first detailed European observations of the region, which later contributed to the mapping and exploration of the islands.

In the pre-colonial period, there was no official unified flag for the entire territory of Fiji. Therefore, an important moment in history was the unification of the country under the rule of King Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the first king elected in 1871. At the same time, the first flag common to all the islands was established, which consisted of a vertical white and blue flag depicting a white dove with an olive branch in its beak on a red shield. Above the shield was a crown. The white dove symbolized peace and unity, and the crown emphasized royalty over a united Fiji.

After Fiji became a British colony in 1874, the country initially used the traditional British flag, the Union Jack. In 1877, Fiji received its own colonial flag. It was typical of the British colonies of that time: a blue background, the Union Jack remained in the upper left corner (canton), and the right side of the flag was decorated with the colony's coat of arms. The main element in the center of the coat of arms was a mermaid with a mirror in her left hand and a crest in her right, symbolizing the wealth and magic of the seas that wash the Fiji Islands.

Subsequent colonial flags changed only the emblem on the right side of the flag. Thus, in the period from 1883 to 1908, it consisted of a crowned golden lion standing on a Tudor or St. Edward's crown, with the inscription “FIJI” below it. The crown and lion were often used on colonial British flags and symbolized the British monarchy. It turns out that only the Fiji inscription was a unique element that distinguished the flag from other colonies.

In 1908, the official state emblem of Fiji was adopted, which, by the way, is still in use and has not changed since then. Therefore, it was logical to place it on the flag and update the emblem. From 1908 to 1924, the coat of arms was placed in the same white circle as on all previous flags, but then it was decided to place the coat of arms without a white background and enlarge the emblem to the size it occupied when placed on the circle.

Finally, on October 10, 1970, after almost a century of colonial rule, Fiji gained independence from Great Britain, which raised the question of creating a national symbol. The flag of Fiji is rectangular on a blue background, and the upper left part (canton) depicts the Union Jack, which symbolizes Fiji's historical ties to Great Britain. The rest of the flag emphasizes national characteristics. The shield of the Fiji coat of arms is located on the right side of the flag and consists of the following symbols: the red cross of St. George, a lion in the upper part of the shield, sugar cane, coconut palm and bananas in three sectors, respectively, and a white dove in the lower left part of the shield.