Fiji
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). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Reelected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Following years of political turmoil, long-delayed legislative elections were held in September 2014 that were deemed "credible" by international observers and that resulted in BAINIMARAMA being reelected. He was reelected in November 2018 in elections deemed free and fair.

geography

location

18.0° S, 175. 0° E
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

area

18,274 sq km
land
18,274 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

1,129 km

climate

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Tomanivi
1,324

natural resources

  • timber
  • fish
  • gold
  • copper
  • offshore oil potential
  • hydropower

land use

arable land
9 %
permanent crops
4.7 %
permanent pasture
9.6 %
forest
55.7 %
other
21 %

population distribution

approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas

people

population

  • 935,974
  • 161
    global rank

nationality

  • Fijian(s)
    noun
  • Fijian
    adjective

ethnic groups

iTaukei
56.8 %
Indo-Fijian
37.5 %
Rotuman
1.2 %
other
4.5 %

languages

  • English
    official
  • Fijian
    official
  • Hindustani

religions

Protestant
45 %
Hindu
27.9 %
other Christian
10.4 %
Roman Catholic
9.1 %
Muslim
6.3 %
Sikh
0.3 %
other
0.3 %
none
0.8 %

birth rate

  • 17.4
    per 1,000 population
  • 96
    global rank

death rate

  • 6.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 150
    global rank

urban population

57.2 %

major urban areas

  • Suva
    pop. 178,000

life expectancy

  • 73.7
    total population
  • 141
    global rank
71
male
76.6
female

adult obesity rate

  • 30.2%
    percent of adults
  • 24
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Republic of Fiji
    long form
  • Fiji
    short form

    local

  • Republic of Fiji/Matanitu ko Viti
    long form
  • Fiji/Viti
    short form

government type

parliamentary republic

capital

Suva (on Viti Levu)
18.8 S, 178.25 E

independence

national holidays

  • Fiji Day
    10 October

legal system

common law system based on the English model

age of suffrage

18

flag description

light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean and the Union Jack reflects the links with Great Britain; the shield - taken from Fiji's coat of arms - depicts a yellow lion, holding a coconut pod between its paws, above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove of peace

national anthem

God Bless Fiji

economy

overview

Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed and connected of the Pacific island economies. Earnings from the tourism industry, with an estimated 842,884 tourists visiting in 2017, and remittances from Fijian’s working abroad are the country’s largest foreign exchange earners. Bottled water exports to the US is Fiji’s largest domestic export. Fiji's sugar sector remains a significant industry and a major export, but crops and one of the sugar mills suffered damage during Cyclone Winston in 2016. Fiji’s trade imbalance continues to widen with increased imports and sluggish performance of domestic exports. The return to parliamentary democracy and successful elections in September 2014 improved investor confidence, but increasing bureaucratic regulation, new taxes, and lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders brought four consecutive years of decline for Fiji on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index. Private sector investment in 2017 approached 20% of GDP, compared to 13% in 2013.

GDP

8,629,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • sugarcane
  • copra
  • ginger
  • tropical fruits
  • vegetables
  • beef
  • pork
  • chicken
  • fish

poverty level

31%
2009

budget

  • 1,454,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 1,648,000,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 76,522
    total subscriptions
  • 147
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 1,033,915
    total subscriptions
  • 160
    global rank

broadcast media

Fiji TV, a publicly traded company, operates a free-to-air channel; Digicel Fiji operates the Sky Fiji and Sky Pacific multi-channel pay-TV services; state-owned commercial company, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Ltd, operates 6 radio stations - 2 public broadcasters and 4 commercial broadcasters with multiple repeaters; 5 radio stations with repeaters operated by Communications Fiji, Ltd; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available

internet

.fj
country code

    users

  • 462,860
    total
  • 49.97
    % of population
  • 154
    global rank

energy

electricity access

98.6%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 2
    registered air carriers
  • 1,336,976
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 28
    total
  • 4
    paved

railways

597 km
total length

roadways

3,440 km
total length

waterways

203 km
total length

military

expenditures

expenditures here

service age

18