FLAG OF FIJI: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The flag of Fiji is the most important national symbol of this oceanic republic. It is made up of a light blue cloth, with the British flag in the canton.

On the right side of the flag is a simplified version of the country's coat of arms, which includes a lion, palms, a dove, a sugar cane and a coconut tree. Both symbols were in force in the colony and were maintained after independence in 1970.

Flag of Fiji. (Nightstallion from Wikimedia Commons).

The Republic of Fiji is one of four countries that maintains the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom, on its national flag. In addition, it is the only country that includes this symbol and that does not have the British monarch as head of state as part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Motivated by the relationship of current symbols with the colonial period, the change of flag has been constantly considered. In 2013 the government made the decision to change the country's flag, and in response to that, in 2015 a contest was held.

However, the project was abandoned. However, the presence of colonial symbols remains an important theme in Fijian society.

History of the flag

The history of Fiji and its flags predates British colonization. Although the current symbol remains tied to the United Kingdom despite being an independent country, the Fijian flags existed before the British occupied the islands in 1874.

These corresponded to the different monarchical regimes that were established in the place. However, the history of the flag has been marked by British colonial rule.

Contact with Europeans was very late in Fijian history. There were always governments of their own or even in the orbit of nearby empires such as Tonga.

However, they were later influenced by Christianity, and after revolts in the mid-nineteenth century, Tonga with the support of the British and Americans managed to impose Christianity.

Confederation of Independent Kingdoms of Fiji

Fiji became an attractive territory for different cotton producers, who saw in the lands of the islands a cultivable and exploitable space. The Fijians continued to group into different kingdoms, but faced with the need to trade their lands, they were forced to establish a new government in 1865.

The seven kingdoms were grouped into the Confederation of Independent Kingdoms of Fiji, with Seru Epenisa Cakobau as its first president. Its flag was made of a dark blue cloth with a large white seven-pointed star in its central part.

Flag of the Confederation of Independent Kingdoms of Fiji (1865-1867). (Jeromi Mikhael, from Wikimedia Commons).

United Tribes of Fiji

The confederation did not last long before the advance of the cotton landowners in the territories of the Kai Colo tribes. These aborigines were not Christians and lived relatively isolated.

After the murder of a British missionary, the consul of this country ordered to repel the Kai Colo. Quickly the confederation ended. The short-lived political entity that replaced the Confederation of Independent Kingdoms was the United Tribes of Fiji.

Its flag incorporated monarchical and Christian elements, as it wore a crown with a cross in the canton. The background was blue and incorporated a rising sun.

Flag of the United Tribes of Fiji. (1867-1869). (Jaume Ollé, via Wikimedia Commons).

Lau Confederation

Following the failure of the confederation and its higher political entity, the Prince of Tonga Enele Maʻafu established an administration for all of Fiji from the Lau Islands.

This was known as the Lau Confederation, and it helped consolidate Tonga's power in the region, in addition to positioning it as an element of power against the United States or Prussia, which considered annexing Fiji.

The Lau Confederation flag used the same symbols and colors as the Tonga flag. In this way, red and white were incorporated, in addition to the cross. In this case, white occupied an upper horizontal band and red the lower one. The red cross was located in the canton.

Flag of the Lau Confederation. (1869-1871). (Mark Sensen, via Wikimedia Commons).

Kingdom of Fiji

Great Britain refused to annex and colonize the territory of Fiji, and a national government without Tongan influence was necessary. However, George Austin Woods, a former British Navy lieutenant, convinced the former president of the Cakobau confederation to form a new state for Fiji. With the support of different settlers, Cakobau was invested as King of Fiji in 1971.

The monarch received support even from the prince of Tonga, Maʻafu. However, his reign became a space of British influence. With greater force, new landowners settled in the islands, appeasing the Fijian tribes with firearms.

In addition to territorial expansion, the Kingdom of Fiji had to face great problems. He formed an army to fight the Kai Colo Aborigines and thus stop hindering British trade.

But he also had to overcome the problem of blackbirding, which led slaves from other mainland islands to work the land in Fiji.

Flag of the Kingdom of Fiji

The flag of the Kingdom of Fiji was made up of two vertical stripes of the same size. The left was white and the right was light blue. In the central part there was a red coat of arms with a white dove of peace, holding an olive branch. Presiding over the shield was a royal crown with a cross.

Flag of the Kingdom of Fiji. (1871-1874). (Jaume Ollé, via Wikimedia Commons).

British colony

The Kingdom of Fiji was not a stable country. Discontent between landlords and Aborigines was latent and the country was becoming unmanageable after the collapse of the price of cotton.

King Cakobau made a new offer to the British government to colonize the territory, which was received with sympathy by the new Conservative executive Benjamin Disraeli.

Eventually, the British accepted the Fijian government's proposal. Sir Hercules Robinson was appointed first governor of Fiji, and the colonization of the territory was consummated on October 10, 1874.

Being a British dependency, Fiji adopted the Union Jack as a symbol, in addition to its variants in different dependencies. In 1908 the coat of arms of Fiji was adopted, which included the cross of St. George and a lion, accompanied by local symbols.

From 1924 it was used in the flag, which was left with a blue background, the shield on the right side and the Union Jack in the canton.

Colonial flag of Fiji. (1924-1970). (Simitukidia and Lokal Profil, via Wikimedia Commons).

Independence

The British colony of Fiji had begun to acquire more autonomy over the years. Since 1965 it was agreed to have a self-government elected by popular vote, which once elected, began to raise the issue of independence.

Finally, and following an agreement with the British government, on October 10, 1970, Fiji became an independent country.

However, their symbols did not change. The national flag was the same as the colonial one, varying the dark blue for a lighter hue. In addition, only the blazon was left on the shield, removing the warriors and the motto.

Although before independence an attempt was made to establish a flag change, it did not take place. The symbol is still in effect today.

Meaning of the flag

The colonial heritage of the Fiji flag makes its meaning completely tied to the United Kingdom. One of its two symbols is the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom. Currently it can be said that it represents the colonial heritage and the past that united them with that empire.

However, the most content-laden symbol is the shield. There, colonial characteristics are combined with those of Fiji. The Cross of Saint George is the symbol of the flag of England.

Also, the lion is a representative of the British monarchy. However, the bunch of bananas, the coconut tree and the sugar cane represent the republic. It has also been claimed that light blue is identified with the country's marine waters.

Flag change proposals

With Fiji having a valid colonial flag, proposals to change the flag have been extremely frequent. One of the main ones lies in the addition of the missing symbols of the shield, proposed by the Council of Chiefs in 2005.

Flag of Fiji with the complete coat of arms. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

However, in 2015 a contest was held to replace the flag. This was eventually abandoned, but 23 finalist designs were selected. The marine symbols were the most prominent, as well as the ships, triangles and stars.

Finalist designs

Among the finalists, there was a tricolor design with two blues and one white. In the central part a growing plant was included.

Proposal 35 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

Another frequent design included a triangle on the left side and the presence of three stars. Additionally, a seashell could also be depicted on the flag.

Proposal 36 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

The ships on the sea were also other raised designs. These were represented in red in some proposals, and white or brown in others.

Proposal 40 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

Designs that emulate a shark or animals swimming along the Fijian coastline were also selected. Some of them played with geometric shapes like triangles and waves to emulate the seascape.

Proposal 44 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

Other proposals were more conservative and simply represented a trilogy of colors. These used to be grouped in a triangle on the left and two horizontal stripes.

Proposition 48 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

The sun was another of the elements present in the designs. Although it would be similar to the Kiribati flag, yellow suns on blue backgrounds were also considered.

Proposition 49 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

Similarly, stars and stars in general were also part of the preselection. In these cases, it was chosen because they were the only symbols of the flag.

Proposition 50 for the flag of Fiji. (Thommy, from Wikimedia Commons).

References

1. ABC News. (2015, February 3). Fiji to change its flag, replacing colonial symbols. ABC News. Recovered from abc.net.au.
2. Ainge, E. (August 18, 2016). Fiji to keep union jack on its flag. The Guardian. Recovered from guardian.co.uk.
3. Fiji Embassy - Brussells. (sf). Fiji Flag. Fiji Embassy - Brussells. Recovered from fijiembassy.be.
4. Finau, G., Kant, R., Tarai, J. and Titifanue, J. (2015). Fiji Flag Change: Social Media Responds. Recovered from openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au.
5. Lal, BV (1992). Broken waves: A history of the Fiji Islands in the twentieth century (Vol. 11). University of Hawaii Press. Recovered from books.google.com.
6. Smith, W. (2013). Flag of Fiji. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.