cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Environment - current issues
deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited
Population
918,675 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
30.9% (male 144,665/female 138,816)
15-64 years
64.7% (male 297,709/female 296,897)
65 years and over
4.4% (male 18,397/female 22,191) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
24.9 years
male
24.4 years
female
25.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.394% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
22.37 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.66 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.042 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.003 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.829 male(s)/female
total population
1.006 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
11.99 deaths/1,000 live births
male
13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female
10.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
70.12 years
male
67.6 years
female
72.76 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Fijian(s)
adjective
Fijian
Ethnic groups
Fijian 54.8% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 37.4%, other 7.9% (European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese) (2005 estimate)
Religions
Christian 53% (Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assembly of God 3.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.6%, other 4.9%), Hindu 34% (Sanatan 25%, Arya Samaj 1.2%, other 7.8%), Muslim 7% (Sunni 4.2%. other 2.8%), other or unspecified 5.6%, none 0.3% (1996 census)
Languages
English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
93.7%
male
95.5%
female
91.9% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of the Fiji Islands
conventional short form
Fiji
local long form
Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti
local short form
Fiji/Viti
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Suva (on Viti Levu)
geographic coordinates
18 08 S, 178 25 E
time difference
UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Independence
10 October 1970 (from UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)
Constitution
enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998
Legal system
based on British system
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000); note - ILOILOVATU was reaffirmed as president by the Great Council of Chiefs in a statement issued on 22 December, and reappointed by the coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA in January 2007
head of government
Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000); note - although QARASE is still the legal prime minister, he has been confined to his home island; the president appointed Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA interim prime minister under the military regime
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet
elections
president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006
election results
Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6-13 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 44.6%, FLP 39.2%, UPP 0.8%, independents 4.9%, other 10.5%; seats by party - SDL 36, FLP 31, UPP 2, independents 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts
Political parties and leaders
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 Peoples Party or UPP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]
2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007
telephone
[1] (202) 337-8320
FAX
[1] (202) 337-1996
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER
embassy
31 Loftus Street, Suva
mailing address
P. O. Box 218, Suva
telephone
[679] 331-4466
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
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. Fiji's tourism industry was damaged by the 2006 coup and is facing an uncertain recovery time. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's inability to manage its budget. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.594 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.045 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$6,200 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
8.9%
industry
13.5%
services
77.6% (2004 est.)
Labor force
137,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
70%
industry and services
30% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
7.6% (1999)
Population below poverty line
25.5% (FY90/91)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2005)
Budget
revenues
$720.5 million
expenditures
$728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005)
US 16.8%, Australia 13.9%, UK 13.5%, Japan 5.3%, Samoa 4.7%, Tonga 4.1% (2006)
Imports
$1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005)
Imports - commodities
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals
Imports - partners
Singapore 28.9%, Australia 23.4%, NZ 16.9%, China 4.7% (2006)
Debt - external
$127 million (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$63.9 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Fijian dollar (FJD)
Currency code
FJD
Exchange rates
Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.7313 (2006), 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
102,000 (2003)
Telephones - 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; satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
541,476 (1999)
Television broadcast stations
NA
Televisions
88,110 (1999)
Internet country code
.fj
Internet hosts
8,987 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
61,000 (2004)
Airports
28 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
3
over 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
25
914 to 1,523 m
7
under 914 m
18 (2006)
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
203 km
note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2006)
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
Military branches
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
