* βeta
Fiji
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. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions, and refused to hold elections.
Location :
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic Coordinates Center :
18 00 S, 175 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 177.13 |
| North | -12.48 |
| East | -178.42 |
| South | -20.68 |
Map references :
Oceania
Area :
| total | 18 274 | square km |
| land | 18 274 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Coastline :
1129.00 km
Climate :
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain :
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 1 324 | metres |
Natural resources :
| copper | fish |
| gold | hydropower |
| offshore oil potential | timber |
Land use :
| arable land | 10.95 | % |
| permanent crops | 4.65 | % |
| other | 84.40 | % |
Irrigated land :
30 square km
Total renewable water resources :
28 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| cyclonic storms |
current issues :
deforestation; soil erosion
international agreements :
| 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 |
Population :
944 720
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.38 | % |
| Birth rate | 21.92 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.65 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 5.66 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -2.47 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 30.30 | % |
| 15-64 years | 64.90 | % |
| 65 years and over | 4.80 | % |
Median age :
| total | 25.50 | years |
| male | 25.00 | years |
| female | 26.00 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1.00 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.82 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.01 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 11.58 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 70.73 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 68.18 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 73.41 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 600 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 200 |
Religions :
| Christian | 64.50 | % |
| Hindu | 27.90 | % |
| Muslim | 6.30 | % |
| Sikh | 0.30 | % |
| other | 0.30 | % |
| none | 0.70 | % |
Languages :
| English | |
| Fijian | |
| Hindustani |
Literacy :
| total population | 93.70 | % |
| male | 95.50 | % |
| female | 91.90 | % |
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 |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | FJ |
| ISO Numeric | 242 |
| ISO3 | FJI |
| FIPS | FJ |
| ccTLD | fj |
| English | Fiji |
Administrative divisions :
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Capital :
| name | Suva |
| geographic coordinates | 18 08 S, 178 25 E |
| time difference | 12.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | ADB |
| AOSIS | C (suspended) |
| CP | FAO |
| G-77 | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICCt |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | IHO |
| ILO | IMF |
| IMO | IOC |
| ISO | ITSO |
| ITU | ITUC |
| Interpol | MIGA |
| OPCW | PCA |
| PIF | SPC |
| Sparteca | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UNMIS |
| UNMIT | UNWTO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1970-10-10
Executive branch :
| President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU | Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE |
Legislative branch :
| SDL | 44.60 | % |
| FLP | 39.20 | % |
| UPP | 0.80 | % |
| other | 10.50 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 3 594 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 3 048 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -1.00 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 3 800 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 8.90 | % |
| industry | 13.50 | % |
| services | 77.60 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 70.00 | % |
| services | 30.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Unemployment rate | 7.60 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 25.50 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.80 | % |
| Current account balance | - 507 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 127 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 522 200 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 2.20 | % of GDP |
Budget :
| revenues | 1 363 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 1 376 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| bananas | cassava |
| cattle | coconuts |
| fish | goats |
| horses | pigs |
| rice | sugarcane |
| sweet potatoes |
Industries :
| clothing | copra |
| cottage industries | gold |
| silver | sugar |
| timber | tourism |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 928 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 863 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 10 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 2 455 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 20 340 | bbl/day |
Value :
1 202 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 15.70 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 12.00 | % |
| Australia (au) | 10.60 | % |
| Samoa (ws) | 5.40 | % |
| Tonga (to) | 4.80 | % |
| Japan (jp) | 4.20 | % |
| NZ | 4.00 | % |
Commodities :
| coconut oil | fish |
| garments | gold |
| molasses | sugar |
| timber |
Value :
3 120 000 000 $
Partners :
| Singapore (sg) | 29.90 | % |
| Australia (au) | 20.10 | % |
| NZ | 15.20 | % |
| China (cn) | 5.30 | % |
| India (in) | 4.50 | % |
Commodities :
| chemicals | food |
| machinery and transportation equipment | manufactured products |
| petroleum products |
Currency-code :
FJD
Currency-name :
Fijian dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 129 100 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 600 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 40 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | fj | |
| Internet Hosts | 12 747 | |
| Internet Users | 103 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 4 | |
| Roadways - total | 3 440 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 1 692 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 1 748 | km |
| Railways | 597 | km |
| Waterways | 203 | km |
Flag
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