How many sugarcane plants appear on the flag of Fiji? Three sugarcane plants appear in the shield on Fiji's flag. They occupy the first quarter of the shield adapted from Fiji's national coat of arms.
The shield divides Fiji's agricultural and cultural symbols into four quarters. Alongside the three sugarcane stalks are a coconut palm, a dove carrying an olive branch, and a bunch of bananas. Above them, a golden lion holds a cocoa pod.
The coat of arms was adopted on 4 July 1908 through a royal warrant. Fiji retained it after independence in 1970, but the national flag uses only the escutcheon, or shield, rather than the complete coat of arms. The full arms also include a canoe, two Fijian warriors, and a motto.
Sugar cane is an especially important clue because it represents one of Fiji's major agricultural products and longstanding export industries. Viewers may count the shield's other plant imagery, but only the first quarter contains sugar cane—and it contains three stalks.