Map of Fiji | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: 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 1995 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1995 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian. Fiji has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world.


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Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total area total: 18,270 km²
Land: 18,270 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,129 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation

Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 5%
Meadows and pastures: 3%
Forest and woodland: 65%
Other: 19%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited


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Population: 772,891 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.16% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Fijian(s)
Adjective: Fijian

Ethnic groups: Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%

Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%
Note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (female 136,570; male 142,581)
15-64 years: 61% (female 235,491; male 235,411)
65 years and over: 3% (female 11,943; male 10,895) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 23.69 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.42 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.67 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion
Current issues natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 17.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.42 years
Male: 63.13 years
Female: 67.82 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
Total population: 87%
Male: 90%
Female: 84%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Fiji
Conventional short form: Fiji

Government type: republic
Note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

Capital: Suva

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western

Dependent areas

Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987; a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; the 1990 Constitution is under review; the review is scheduled to be complete by 1997

Legal system: based on British system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994); First Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 12 January 1994); Second Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994); note - President GANILAU died on 15 December 1993 and Vice President MARA became acting president; MARA was elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs on 12 January 1994
Head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)
Presidential Council: appointed by the governor general
Great Council of Chiefs: highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by prime minister from members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament

Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987
Senate: nonelective body containing 34 seats, 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, 1 for the island of Rotuma; appointed by President
House of Representatives: elections last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FA 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pita Kewa NACUVA
In the us chancery: Suite 240, 2,233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 337-8,320
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996
In the us consulates: New York
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael W. MARINE
From the us embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
From the us telephone: [679] 314,466
From the us FAX: [679] 300,081

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 shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and tourism are the major sources of foreign exchange. Industry contributes 13% to GDP, with sugar processing accounting for one-third of industrial activity. Roughly 250,000 tourists visit each year. Political uncertainty and drought, however, contribute to substantial fluctuations in earnings from tourism and sugar and to the emigration of skilled workers. In 1992, growth was approximately 3%, based on growth in tourism and a lessening of labor-management disputes in the sugar and gold-mining sectors. In 1993, the government's budgeted growth rate of 3% was not achieved because of a decline in non-sugar agricultural output and damage from Cyclone Kina. Growth in 1994 is estimated to be 5%, largely attributed to increased tourism and expansion in domestic production, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats; fish catch nearly 33,000 tons (1989)

Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries

Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1993 est.), accounts for 13% of GDP

Labor force: 235,000
By occupation subsistenceagriculture: 67%
By occupation wageearners: 18%
By occupation salaryearners: 15% (1987)

Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1992)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $485 million
Expenditures: $579 million, including capital expenditures of $58 million (1994)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $405 million (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: sugar 40%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber
Partners: EC 26%, Australia 15%, Pacific Islands 11%, Japan 6%

Imports: $634 million (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, consumer goods, chemicals
Partners: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $670 million (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 - 1.4140 (January 1995), 1.4641 (1994), 1.5418 (1993), 1.5030 (1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 480 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 581 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 53,228 telephones; 71 telephones/1000 persons; modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and NZ-Australia; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $22.4 million, about 2% of GDP (FY91/92)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 23
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 16
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1
Under 914 m: 16

Airports with unpaved runways
914 to 1523 m: 4

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

Merchant marine
Total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,267 GRT/17,884 DWT
Ships by type: chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs