Fiji

As it was announced earlier this week that the Fiji flag will change removing the colonial symbols.

The current Fiji flag

This got me thinking what could replace it? This was a topic visited by Leonardo Piccioni a while ago on his blog. His design was this:

and this

His flag was based on the flag of the Kingdom of Fiji before it became a colony, with the palm tree coming from the coat of arms and rugby logo:

flag of Fiji 1871-1874

I was also inspired by the old flag, however I chose two different symbols for Fiji, the canoe from the coat of arms (which may also be changed) and the Tabua (Whale tooth) an important cultural item.

The same basic flag as the Kingdom but with different symbols. My final design is horizontal and features the red white and blue colours of the first Fijian flag, with the Tabua as the central device.

I think the Tabua only on a horizontal design is much less messy, and this way most of the flag is on a blue field, which is in keeping with the lyrics of the national anthem "As we stand united under noble banner blue." 

Alternatively the canoe could be used, but from what I understand (which admittedly isn't much) the Tabua seems to be more relevant in modern Fijian culture.