Fiji

Republic of Fiji

republicIndependence 10 October 1970 (from UK)

Fiji as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 83 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 sq km

LocationOceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about

Populationas each edition published it

772,891 people July 1995 est. · 759,567 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.16% 1995 est. · 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

65.42 years 1995 est. · 64.86 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.87 children per woman 1995 est. · 3.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

17.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,650 1994 est. · $1,900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5% 1994 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about | two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

14 fields

Area

18,270sq km

land area: 18,270 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

1,129km

land boundaries: 0 kmMaritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselinescontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim addedexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Irrigated land

10sq km

(1989 est.)

Location

Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

International disputes

none

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%

Environment

current issues:: deforestation; soil erosion
natural hazards:: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94

Note

includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

People

15 fields

Population

772,891

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 1.16% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

23.69Death

6.42Net migration

-5.67

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years65.42

63.13 · 67.82

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy87%

90% · 84%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1986)

Religions(1986)

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)

Labor force

235,000

by occupation: subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 36% (female 136,570; male 142,581)
15-64 years:: 61% (female 235,491; male 235,411)
65 years and over:: 3% (female 11,943; male 10,895) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

17.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Fijian(s)
adjective:: Fijian

Ethnic divisions

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

Languages

English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Government

Republic; President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994); Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)

24 fields

Legislature, 70 seatsone dot, one seat

(70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party SVT 31NFP 20FLP 7FA 5GVP 4independents 2ANC 1

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Fiji
conventional short form:: Fiji

Digraph

Type

republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. 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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

Constitution

10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987);
a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990;
the 1990 Constitution is under review;
the review is scheduled to be complete by 1997

Legal system

based on British system

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994);
First Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 12 January 1994);
Second Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994);
note - President GANILAU died on 15 December 1993 and Vice President MARA became acting president;
MARA was elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs on 12 January 1994
head of government:: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)

Presidential Council

appointed by the governor general

Great Council of Chiefs

highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system; cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by prime minister from members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament

Legislative branch

the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987

Senate

nonelective body containing 34 seats, 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, 1 for the island of Rotuma; appointed by President

House of Representatives

elections last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
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 SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FA 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

Fijian Political Party (SVT - primarily Fijian), leader Maj. Gen. Sitivini RABUKA; National Federation Party (NFP; primarily Indian), Jai Ram REDDY; Fijian Nationalist Party (FNP), Sakeasi BUTADROKA; Fiji Labor Party (FLP), Mahendra CHAUDHRY; General Voters Party (GVP), Bill SORBY;

Fiji Conservative Party (FCP), Isireli VUIBAU; Conservative Party of Fiji (CPF), Jolale ULUDOLE and Viliame SAVU; Fiji Indian Liberal Party, Swami MAHARAJ; Fiji Indian Congress Party, Ishwari BAJPAI; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim), leader NA; Four Corners Party, David TULVANUAVOU; Fijian Association (FA), leader NA; General Electors' Association, leader NA

note: in early 1995, ethnic Fijian members of the All National Congress (ANC) merged with the Fijian Association (FA); the new FA is scheduled to hold its first meeting in April 1995 at which time the leaders of the party will be chosen; it is likely that Josevata KAMIKAMICA, the leader of the FA before the merger, will be elected leader and Adi Kuini Bavadra SPEED, the leader of the ANC before the merger, will be elected deputy leader; the remaining members of the ANC have renamed their party the General Electors' Association

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Pita Kewa NACUVA
chancery:: Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:: [1] (202) 337-8320

FAX

[1] (202) 337-1996; consulate(s): New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael W. MARINE
embassy:: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
mailing address:: P. O. Box 218, Suva
telephone:: [679] 314466

FAX

[679] 300081

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.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$5,650

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 0% (1993 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1994)

Unemployment rate

5.4%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$485 millionExpenditures

$579 million (1994)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $58 million

Installed generating capacity, 200,000 kW

Electricity production

480 millionElectricity consumption per capita

581 (1993)

Overview

Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and tourism are the major sources of foreign exchange. Industry contributes 13% to GDP, with sugar processing accounting for one-third of industrial activity. Roughly 250,000 tourists visit each year.

Political uncertainty and drought, however, contribute to substantial fluctuations in earnings from tourism and sugar and to the emigration of skilled workers. In 1992, growth was approximately 3%, based on growth in tourism and a lessening of labor-management disputes in the sugar and gold-mining sectors.

In 1993, the government's budgeted growth rate of 3% was not achieved because of a decline in non-sugar agricultural output and damage from Cyclone Kina. Growth in 1994 is estimated to be 5%, largely attributed to increased tourism and expansion in domestic production, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$405 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities:: sugar 40%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber
partners:: EC 26%, Australia 15%, Pacific Islands 11%, Japan 6%

Imports

$634 million (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, consumer goods, chemicals
partners:: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%

External debt

$670 million (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 23% of GDP;
principal cash crop is sugarcane;
coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas;
small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats;
fish catch nearly 33,000 tons (1989)

Economic aid

recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $815 million

Currency

1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 - 1.4140 (January 1995), 1.4641 (1994), 1.5418 (1993), 1.5030 (1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 23 in all

over 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

3,300Railroads

644Inland waterways

203

Highways: paved: 1,590 km · unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 1,290 km; unimproved earth 420 km (1984) · Railroads: ; note - belongs to the government owned Fiji Sugar Corporation · narrow gauge: 644 km 0.610-m gauge · Inland waterways: ; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

Railroads

total:: 644 km; note - belongs to the government owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
narrow gauge:: 644 km 0.610-m gauge

Highways

total:: 3,300 km
paved:: 1,590 km
unpaved:: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 1,290 km; unimproved earth 420 km (1984)

total:: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,267 GRT/17,884 DWT
ships by type:: chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

53,228 telephones;
71 telephones/1,000 persons;
modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities;
regional radio center

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and NZ-Australia; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station