Fiji

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Fiji at a glance Did you know? The name Fiji comes from the Tongan name "Viti". Region Pacific Population 931,741 (July 2008 est imate ) Land Geography: Volcanic islands Climate: Marine tropical People Religion: Christians, 52%, Hindus, 38%, Muslims 8%, and others, including Sikhs Language: Official: English; Hindustani and Fijian also used Economy GDP per person (PPP): $5,500 (2007 estimate) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 9%, Industry: 13.5%, Services:78% Government Republic (Suspended) Land Physical Geography Fiji is made up of 332 islands, of which 110 are inhabited, and covers an area of 18,270 square kilometres. The larger islands are volcanic and have a sharp, rugged relief. None of the volcanoes are presently active. Suva , the capital, and the highest peak, Mt. Victoria , or Tomaniivi (1,323 metres) are located on the largest island, Viti Levu (10,429 square km). The rivers form rich and fertile deltas and coastal plains provide the main agricultural areas. The Great Sen Reef stretches on along the western side of the islands. Climate Fiji has a tropical climate with temperatures averaging around 30° C with very slight seasonal temperature variations. Cyclones and hurricanes bring high winds and rainfall from November to April. Rainfall in Fiji is variable and is influenced by the topography and prevailing trade winds. Environment Natural forest covers about 40% of Fiji . Rainfall influences the natural vegetation with the wetter, windward side of the highlands being heavily forested and the drier sides being dominated by savannas and coarse grasses. Coconut groves predominate in the coastal regions. Mangrove forests are found in a few coastal lagoons. The Monkey-faced bat, called beka, is the only surviving native mammal. There are about 70 species of birds. Three of world's seven turtle species: the green, hawksbill and leatherback, nest in Fiji . The varied sea life includes many species of coral, sponges, tropical reef fish, rays, sharks, dolphins and whales. People Most of the population (70%) lives on Vitu Levu, the largest of the islands and another 20% live on Vanua Levu . About half 44% of the population live s in urban areas. Suva , the capital, is the largest city has a population of more than 200,000. Lautoka, Labasa, Nausori and Nadi are other large cities. Lack of freshwater means that a number of islands in Fiji are uninhabited. People Culture and identity People of Melanesian and Polynesian descent settled Fiji about 3,500 years ago. They are now called the "Lapita people" after a distinctive type of fine pottery they produce. European settlement began in the 17th and 18th centuries. About 60,000 Indians were brought to work in the sugar plantations between 1879 and 1916 and thousands more Indians migrated in the 1920s and 1930s. The Indo-Fijian population formed the core of Fiji's business class. At present the population is made up of indigenous Fijians - predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture, (51%), Indo-Fijians (44%) and European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese and others make up the remaining 5%. Indigenous Fijians follow their traditional rites and practices, which include mekes (narrative dances), bure (house construction), yaqona (kava ceremonies), masi (bark or tapa-cloth) making, ibe weaving mats from pandanus and pottery. Indo-Fijians follow traditional Indian dances and music. Fiji has a small but strong writers' community. Health A comprehensive health care system exists in Fiji and indigenous Fijians also use herbal medicines. Unlike other tropical countries Fiji is free of malaria and yellow fever. The country guards itself against human, animal and vegetable pests and diseases through an effective quarantine system. Compared to other developing countries, the infant mortality rate is low at 12 per thousand live births, population growth rate is low at 1.4% and life expectancy at birth is high at 70.5 years. Access to improved water sources is low at 47% while 72% of population has access to sanitation. Around 90% of one year olds are immunised against tuberculosis and 70% are immunised against measles. There is a low, 0.01% rate of HIV.. Religion and beliefs Various religious beliefs coexist in Fiji. Nearly all of the indigenous Fijians are Christian; more than three-quarters are Methodist. Approximately 80% of the Indo-Fijians are Hindu, 15% are Muslim, and most of the rest are Sikh while some are Christian. Indigenous Fijians also follow traditional beliefs in spirit and ancestor worship. Degei, the snake god, is the greatest of all Fijian gods. Fire walking as a custom is practiced by the Sawau tribesmen. The yaqona (kava) drinking ceremony is an important religious and civil, public and personal ceremony for developing relationships. The tabua, a whale's tooth, is a symbol of peace used in settling disputes. Food and shelter Taro and cassava, starchy root vegetables, are the staples of the indigenous Fijian diet. Leafy green vegetables and a variety of tropical fruits like mango, papaya and banana are eaten. Lolo or coconut milk is used in preparation of many dishes. Beef, pork, chicken and seafood are the main forms of protein. Indo-Fijians eat rice, dhal, curries and roti (flat bread). Hands are used to eat although cutlery is now being used more frequently. Traditional Fijian homes are built of wood and have a thatched roof and woven flooring. The kitchen is a separate structure. City houses are constructed of wood, tin and cement. Economy Wealth and poverty Fiji is one of the better-developed economies of the Pacific region with a relatively high level of income (US$$5,500 per capita GDP) however, 26% of the population lives below poverty line. Many educated Fijians (indigenous and Indo-Fijians) work overseas and send money home to help their families. Approximately 12% of the population has a landline telephone while 22% have a mobile phone.. Education and work Fiji has a high literacy rate of 93%. Education is free and compulsory for the year 6 to 16 age group. Classes are taught in the pupil's parent tongue (Fijian for the Fijians and Hindi or Urdu for the Indians) and in English for the first few years until students have learnt enough English to continue in English. Post school education includes vocational and technical institutes and the University of the South Pacific in Suva. Nearly 70% of Fiji's workforce is engaged in agriculture and related activities. The high proportion of skilled and professional workers emigrating remains a concern. Industries and products Agriculture and tourism are the main industries in Fiji. Sugarcane processing accounts for one-third of industrial activity. Forests, minerals and fish are other important resources. The country's export consists of sugar, gold, silver, clothing, copra, lumber and processed fish. Trade Fiji's main exports are sugar, clothing, gold, timber, fish, molasses and coconut oil. The main export destinations are US (16.6%), UK (13%), Australia (10.6%) and other Pacific island countries. The main import items are manufactured goods, machinery, petroleum products, food and chemicals from Singapore,(29.5%), Australia (21.5%), NZ (17.2%) and China (4.1%). Achievements and challenges Fiji’s position in the central Pacific and its forest, mineral, and fish resources makes it one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies but four coups in 20 years has led to serious political and social upheaval. Fiji economy’s contracted by at least 3.9 per cent in 2007. Remittances fell by as much as thirty per cent. Both the sugar and tourism industries performed poorly in 2007, and prospects for improvement in 2008 are poor. Drought and cyclonic storms accompanied by heavy rainfall are natural hazards. Development has lead to major environmental issues such as coastal damage around tourist resorts, increased demand for water and safe waste disposal, deforestation and soil erosion. Low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget are concerns. Social tensions especially between the indigenous Fijians and the Indo-Fijians are also ongoing challenges. Women in Fiji are more vulnerable to poverty due to their limited involvement in formal employment, increasing rates of divorce and separation, and associated problems of collecting maintenance and support payments. Women's lack of inheritance rights to land and other major assets also constrains their access to credit. Links with Australia Australia and Fiji have had strong partnerships for many years but the coup in December 2006 has led to the strong condemnation of military’s unconstitutional removal of Fiji’s elected government, travel restrictions, suspension of defence cooperation and aid for governance. The Australian aid program has maintained its support for health, education, community development, the textiles industry, HIV/AIDS and the scholarships program. It also has increased the emphasis on community justice activities and additional livelihood support through community organisations. Two-way trade between Australia and Fiji has steadily declined since 2000, largely due to a reduction in Australian exports of refined petroleum and falling textiles, clothing and footwear (TCF) trade. In 2006-07 trade amounted to $531 million (Australian exports to Fiji $383 million; Fiji exports to Australia $148 million). In 2006 there were 48 150 Fiji-born persons in Australia, with most living in New South Wales (28 610) followed by Queensland (8950), Victoria (7910) and South Australia (930). Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/index.html

Sports carnival on a muddy, wet day on Taveuni Island, Fiji