Population:
844,330 (July 2001 est.)
Location: Oceania, island
group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 18
00 S, 175 00 E
Area: 9,596,960 sq km Area
- comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Coastline: 1,129 km |
Fiji is a country
in the South Pacific Ocean. It is made up
of more than 800 scattered islands. About
100 of its islands are permanently inhabited.
Fiji has a total land area of 18,274 square
kilometres. The island of Viti Levu (Big
Fiji) covers about half this area, and Vanua
Levu (Big Land) occupies about a third.
Many of the other islands of Fiji are merely
piles of sand on coral reefs.
Fiji became independent in 1970, after
nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic
rule was interrupted by two military coups
in 1987, caused by concern over a government
perceived as dominated by the Indian community
(descendants of contract laborers brought
to the islands by the British in the 19th
century).
A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian
control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian
emigration; the population loss resulted
in economic difficulties, but ensured that
Melanesians became the majority. Amendments
enacted in 1997 made the constitution more
equitable.
|
Fiji enjoys a
warm and pleasant temperature throughout the
year - average 72°F in the mild, dry season
of May through October, and 78.5°F in
the warm, wetter season of November through
April.
Dress for Fiji is cool and casual, though
swimsuits and brief attire should be confined
to beaches and hotel swimming pools. |
The first European
discovery of the Fiji Islands was by the Dutch
Navigator Abel Tasman in 1643, but the islands
were recorded in detail by Capt. Bligh after
the 1789 mutiny of the Bounty. In the 19th
century the search for sandalwood, in which
enormous profits were made, brought many ships.
The influence of the deserters, shipwrecked
sailors who settled on the islands disrupted
the pattern of life of the indigenous Fijians
and gave rise to inter-tribal wars until Fiji
was ceded to Britain on 10th October 1874. |
The visitor
to Fiji with even the vaguest powers of
perception cannot help but notice the pride
of the indigenous people, which comes across
in their carriage, their way of looking
you squarely in the eye, and their respect
for tradition, manifest in their hospitality.
While many other South Pacific cultures
are dying or long dead, Fiji's way of life
remains strong and resilient in the face
of outside influence. Traditional Fijian
society is based on communal principles
derived from village life. People in villages
share the obligations and rewards of community
life and are still led by a hereditary chief.
Traditional Fijian society is based on communal
principles derived from village life. People
in villages share the obligations and rewards
of community life and are still led by a
hereditary chief.
|
| Hot
Places in China |
| Name |
Category |
State |
City |
| Bouma falls |
Gardens, Parks and
Nature Reserves |
Mamanuca Group |
Taveuni |
| Village of Navala |
Ethnic Districts |
Vanua Levu |
Nadi |
| Bird watching
at Qeleni |
Animal, Bird and
Aquatic Life |
Vanua Levu |
Taveuni |
| Wairiki Mission |
Museums |
Vanua Levu |
Taveuni |
| Matamanoa Isaland |
Islands and Beaches |
Viti Levu |
Mamanuca |
|
INTRODUCTION