Statistical information Fiji 1999

Fiji in the World
top of pageBackground: 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. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 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.
top of pageLocation: 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
Map reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 18,270 km²
Land: 18,270 km²
Water: 0 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential
Land useArable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 10%
Forests and woodland: 65%
Other: 11% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
GeographyNote: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
top of pagePopulation: 812,918 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.28% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
NationalityNoun: Fijian(s)
Adjective: Fijian
Ethnic groups: Fijian 51%, Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)
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 profileAge structure0-14 years: 33% (male 138,796; female 133,428)
15-64 years: 63% (male 257,130; female 256,834)
65 years and over: 4% (male 12,527; female 14,203) (1999 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.28% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.76 births/1000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.78 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: deforestation; soil erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertication, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 16.3 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 66.59 years
Male: 64.19 years
Female: 69.11 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.6%
Male: 93.8%
Female: 89.3% (1995 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands
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 areasIndependence: 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; amended 25 July 1997 to allow non-ethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multi-party government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note_ the May 1999 election will be the first test of the amended constitution and will introduce open voting_not racially prescribed_for the first time at the national level
Legal system: based on British system
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (acting president since 15 December 1993, president since 12 January 1994); Vice President Ratu Josefa Iloilo ULUIVUDA (since 18 January 1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Taufa VAKATALE (since 7 August 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
Note: there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system
Elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA elected president; percent of Great Council of Chiefs vote_NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, and 1 for the island of Rotuma; members appointed by the president to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (70 seats; 37 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 27 reserved for ethnic Indians, and 6 for independents and others; members elected by popular vote on a communal basis to serve five-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives_last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held 11 May 1999)
Election results: House of Representatives_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FAP 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1; note_results are for the last election before the new constitution came into force
Note: when the new constitution is applied to the upcoming May elections, the composition of the legislative branch will change to the following:Senate_32 seats (14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the prime minister, eight appointed by the leader of the opposition, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and House of Representatives_71 seats (23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the Rotuman constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador "Ratu" Napolioni MASIREWA
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: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER
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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up 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. Fiji's growth slowed in 1997 because the sugar industry suffered from low world prices and rent disputes between farmers and landowners. Drought in 1998 further damaged the sugar industry. Overall growth in 1991-98 has averaged less than 2% per year, with long-term problems of low investment and uncertain property rights. The central bank predicts growth of 2% to 3% in 1999.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 2.4% (1998 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $6,700 (1998 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 19%
Industry: 22%
Services: 59% (1996 est.)
Agriculture products: sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish
Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Industrial production growth rate: 2.9% (1995)
Labor force: 235,000
By occupation subsistenceagriculture: 67%
By occupation wageearners: 18%
By occupation salaryearners: 15% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1997 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: NA%
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $540.65 million
Expenditures: $742.65 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1997 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $655 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: sugar 32%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber
Partners: Australia 27%, UK 14%, NZ 12%, US 8%, Japan (1996)
Imports: $838 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals
Partners: Australia 44%, NZ 15%, US 9%, Japan 5%, Singapore 5% (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $217 million (1996 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1: 1.9556 (January 1999), 1.9868 (1998), 1.4437 (1997), 1.4033 (1996), 1.4063 (1995), 1.4641 (1994)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 545 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 21.1%
Production by source hydro: 78.9%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 545 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaFiji - Communication 1999
top of pageTelephones: 60,017 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center
Domestic: NA
International: access to important cable link between US and Canada and NZ and Australia; satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $34 million (1997)
Percent of gdp: 1.6% (1997)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsFiji - Transportation 1999
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 24 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 21
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 17 (1998 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysTotal: 597 km; note_belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
Narrow gauge: 597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
RoadwaysWaterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Merchant marineTotal: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,721 GRT/13,145 DWT
Ships by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, specialized tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Ports and terminalsFiji - Transnational issues 1999
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs