Coat of arms of Fiji
Encyclopedia
The Coat of arms of Fiji
was granted by Royal Letters Patent
on 4 July 1908. It was featured on the colonial ensign and its shield remains on the current flag of Fiji
.
The elements which appear in the coat of arms are:
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
was granted by Royal Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on 4 July 1908. It was featured on the colonial ensign and its shield remains on the current flag of Fiji
Flag of Fiji
Prior to ceding the country to British rule in 1874, the government of Fiji adopted a national flag featuring blue and white vertical stripes, with in the centre a red shield depicting a white dove. This flag ceased to be used when the colonial era began and Fiji relinquished its independence...
.
The elements which appear in the coat of arms are:
- The shield has images both representing Fiji's primary produce and its links with both its colonialColonyIn politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
and pre-colonial past. The EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lion stands above the Cross of St. GeorgeSt George's CrossSt George's Cross is a red cross on a white background used as a symbolic reference to Saint George. The red cross on white was associated with St George from medieval times....
, but in its paws it holds a cocoa pod. Three of the four quarters around the cross also contain crops: sugarcaneSugarcaneSugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
s, a coconut palm, and a bunch of bananas. The remaining quarter shows a dove of peace, which was the main element of the flag of King CakobauSeru Epenisa CakobauRatu Seru Epenisa Cakobau was a Fijian Ratu and warlord who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing a united Fijian kingdom.-Background:...
, the first King of Fiji.
- The supportersSupportersIn heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
are two Fijian warriors dressed in mulberry bark tapaTapa clothTapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
skirts, one of them holding a lance and the other a pineapple mace, all proper; - The crestCrest (heraldry)A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
features a wreath Argent and Gules as well as a canoe with outrigger all proper; - The mottoMottoA motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
displays the national motto "Rerevaka na kalou ka doka na Tui" (Fear God and honour the King).