Fiji

military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987Independence 10 October 1970 (from UK)

Fiji as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSuva

Area18,270 km2

Populationas each edition published it

744,006 people July 1991 · 759,567 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 64.86 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.1 children per woman 1991 · 3.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

18,270km2

land area: 18,270 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

1,129km

land boundaries: noneMaritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines) Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to 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

Natural resources

timber, fish, gold, copper; offshore oil potential

Land use

arable land 8%;
permanent crops 5%;
meadows and pastures 3%;
forest and woodland 65%;
other 19%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Note

located 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean

People

14 fields

Population

744,006

(July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

26Death

Literacy

86%

(male 90%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)

Net migration rate

- 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

62 years male, 67 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

3.1 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

noun--Fijian(s); adjective--Fijian

Ethnic divisions

Indian 49%, Fijian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%

Religion

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)

Language

English (official);
Fijian;
Hindustani

Labor force

235,000; subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)

Organized labor

about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983)

Government

Military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

16 fields

Long-form name

Republic of Fiji

Type

military coup leader Major General 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

Independence

10 October 1970 (from UK)

Constitution

10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990

Legal system

based on British system

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

the bicameral Parliament, consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987;
the Constitution of 23 September 1988 provides for a bicameral Parliament

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 December 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Josefata KAMIKAMICA (since NA October 1991); note--Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA served as prime minister from 10 October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987 election;

after a second coup led by Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA on 25 September 1987, Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA was reappointed as prime minister Fijian Political Party (primarily Fijian), leader NA; National Federation (primarily Indian), Siddiq KOYA; Western United Front (Fijian), Ratu Osea GAVIDI; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini BAVADRA

Suffrage

none House of Representatives--last held 14 May 1987 (next to be held July 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party NA

Communists

some

Member of

ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Charge d'Affaires Ratu Finau MARA;
Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007;
telephone (202) 337-8320;
there is a Fijian Consulate in New York;
US--Ambassador Evelyn I. H. TEEGEN;
Embassy at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address is P. O. Box 218, Suva);
telephone [679] 314-466 or 314-069

Flag

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

Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.3billion

per capita $1,693; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

8.5%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.9

(1991 est.)

External debt

$428million

(December 1990 est.)

Imports $840 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)commodities, where a share is given

machinery and transport

32%food

15%

also petroleum products, consumer goods, chemicals; partners--Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%

Budget

Revenues

$314 millionExpenditures

$355 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $81 million (1990 est.)

Overview

Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a major source of foreign exchange and sugar processing accounts for one-third of industrial output. Industry, including sugar milling, contributes 13% to GDP. Fiji traditionally had earned considerable sums of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists who visited each year.

In 1987, however, after two military coups, the economy went into decline. GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainty created a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused sugar production to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar and tourism turned in strong performances in 1989, and the economy rebounded vigorously. In 1990 the economy received a setback from cyclone Sina which cut sugar output by an estimated 21%.

Exports

$646 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.);
commodities--sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber;
partners--EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6%

Industrial production

growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Electricity

215,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 430 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries

Agriculture

accounts for 23% of GDP;
principal cash crop is sugarcane;
coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas;
small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $732 million

Currency

Fijian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.4476 (January 1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987), 1.1329 (1986), 1.1536 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 6 ships by typeone square, one ship

roll-on/roll-off cargo 2container 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 1chemical tanker 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,214 GRT/37,161 DWT

Airports, 26 total, 24 usable

permanent-surface runways

2runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

3,300Railroads

644Inland waterways

203

Highways: (1984)--390 km paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth · Railroads: , belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation · Inland waterways: ; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

Railroads

644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation

Highways

3,300 km total (1984)--390 km paved;
1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment;
1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface;
420 unimproved earth

modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities;
regional radio center;
important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia;
53,228 telephones;
stations--7 AM, 1 FM, no TV;
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station