Map of Fiji | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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). 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 May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.


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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: 18 00 S 175 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 18,270 km²
Land: 18,270 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1129 km

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

Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources: timber fish gold copper offshore oil potential hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 10.95%
Permanent crops: 4.65%
Other: 84.4% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Geography
Note: includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited


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Population: 905,949 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 1.4% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 25.5% (1990-91)

Nationality
Noun: Fijian

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 24.6 years
Male: 24.1 years
Female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 22.55 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.65 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2006 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 13.63 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.91 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.82 years
Male: 67.32 years
Female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 600 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch
Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 27.5%, FLP 26.5%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, NFP 1.2%, independents 1.4%, UGP .3%; seats by party - SDL 32, FLP 27, MV 6, NLUP 2, NFP 1, independents 2, UGP 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders: Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or CAMV [Ratu Josefa DIMURI]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE] Fijian Association Party or FAP Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Sitiveni RABUKA] and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the Truth or POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

International organization participation: ACP AsDB C CP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITU MIGA OPCW PCA PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIS UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU
In the us chancery: 2,233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 337-8,320
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-1996
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER
From the us embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
From the us telephone: [679] 331-4,466
From the us fax: [679] 330-0081

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 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 remittances from Fijians working abroad and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union markets but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity but is not efficient. Long-term problems include low investment uncertain land ownership rights and the government's ability to manage its budget. Yet because of a tourist boom short-run economic prospects are good provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $5.255 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.7% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $5,900 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.9%
Industry: 13.5%
Services: 77.6% (2001 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane coconuts cassava (tapioca) rice sweet potatoes bananas; cattle pigs horses goats; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 137,000 (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry and services: 30% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (1999)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 25.5% (1990-91)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $720.5 million
Expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2000 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2005)

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: $-465.8 million

Exports: $719.6 million f.o.b. (2005)
Commodities: sugar garments gold timber fish molasses coconut oil
Partners: US 19.7% Australia 17% UK 12.3% Japan 5.4% Samoa 4.1% (2005)

Imports: $1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005)
Commodities: manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment petroleum products food chemicals
Partners: Singapore 27.4% Australia 23.6% NZ 18.9% Thailand 4.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $127 million (2004 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005) 1.7331 (2004) 1.8958 (2003) 2.1869 (2002) 2.2766 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 775.7 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 721.4 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 102,000 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 142,200 (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2 satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .fj
Hosts: 8,987 (2006)
Users: 61,000 (2004)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 2.2% (FY02)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2006)
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 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 25
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 597 km
Narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
Note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005)

Roadways
Total: 3,440 km
Paved: 1,692 km
Unpaved: 1,748 km (1999)

Waterways
Note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT
By type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Lambasa Lautoka Suva


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs