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Flag of Fiji

Fiji
Flag of Fiji.svg
Use National flag
Proportion 1:2
Adopted 10 October 1970
Design A Light Blue Ensign with the Fijian shield-of-arms taken from the National Coat of Arms centred on the outer half of the flag.
Flag of Fiji 1924-1970.svg
Variant flag of Fiji
Use historical
Proportion 1:2
Adopted 1924
Design A Blue Ensign with the National Coat of Arms centred on the outer half of the flag.
Flag of Fiji 1908-1924.svg
Variant flag of Fiji
Use historical
Proportion 1:2
Adopted 1908
Design A Blue Ensign with the white badge centred on the outer half of the flag bearing the National Coat of Arms.
Flag of the United Kingdom of Fiji 1871-1874.svg
Variant flag of Fiji
Use Historical
Proportion 2:3
Adopted 1871
Design A horizontal bicolour of light blue and white with the white dove holding an olive branch on the red shield surmounted by the crown.

The national flag of Fiji was adopted on 10 October 1970. The state arms have been slightly modified but the flag has remained the same as during Fiji's colonial period. It is a defaced sky-blue "Blue Ensign" (the actual Blue Ensign version of the flag is the Government ensign). It has remained unchanged since Fiji was declared a republic in 1987, despite calls from some politicians for changes.

In 2013, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced plans of replacing the flag with a new design that would not include the Union Jack. Following a three-month-long public vote, the new flag was expected to be announced on or before 7 September 2016, but Bainimarama abandoned plans to change the flag for the foreseeable future in August 2016.

The flag's bright blue background symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, which plays an important part in the lives of the islanders, both in terms of the fishing industry, and the huge tourist trade. The Union Jack reflects the country's links with the United Kingdom. The shield is derived from the country's coat of arms, which was granted by Royal Warrant in 1908. It is a white shield with a red cross and a red chief (upper third of a shield). The images depicted on the shield represent agricultural activities on the islands, and the historical associations with the United Kingdom. At the top of the shield, a British lion holds a cocoa pod between its paws. The upper left is sugar cane, upper right is a coconut palm, the lower left a dove of peace, and the lower right a bunch of bananas.

The flag is very similar to the colonial ensign used prior to independence, the main differences being the latter used a darker shade of blue and displayed the entire Fijian coat of arms as opposed to just the shield. While some reformists have called for the removal of the Union Flag, seeing it a British colonial emblem, others support its retention for the sake of historical continuity. The flags of five other independent countries (see Flags of Australia, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue, and Tuvalu articles) retain the Union Flag in their national flags. But of these, only Fiji is a republic.


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