Fiji
Republic of the Fiji Islands
republicIndependence 10 October 1970 (from UK)
Fiji as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about | two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
18 fieldsLand useshare of 18,270 sq km
Location
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Religions(1986)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 34% (male 139,713; female 134,220)
- 15-64 years:
- 63% (male 251,646; female 251,425)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 12,051; female 13,556) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.89 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%
Government
Republic; President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (acting president since 15 December 1993, president since 12 January 1994); Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)
20 fieldsLegislature, 70 seatsone dot, one seat
Government type
republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Constitution
- 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987);
- a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990;
- another new constitution, which opens the way for a non-ethnic Fijian to become prime minister, was signed by the president on 25 July 1997 and will come into force no later than 28 July 1998
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (acting president since 15 December 1993, president since 12 January 1994);
- First Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAI'IA (since 12 January 1994);
- Second Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Taufa VAKATALE (since 7 August 1997)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
note: there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system
- elections:
- president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA elected president; percent of Great Council of Chiefs vote-NA
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 9 for Indians and others, and 1 for the island of Rotuma; members appointed by the president to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (70 seats; 37 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 27 for ethnic Indians, and 6 for independents and others; members elected by popular vote on a communal basis to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- House of Representatives-last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
- election results:
- House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FAP 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1
note: when the new constitution comes into force, the composition of
- the legislative branch will change to the following:
- Senate-32 seats (14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the prime minister, eight appointed by the leader of the opposition, and one appointed by the Council of Rotuma);
- House of Representatives-71 seats (23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, and there will be 25 open seats)
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), Leo SMITH;
Fiji Conservative Party (FCP), leader NA; Conservative Party of Fiji (CPF), leader NA; Fiji Indian Liberal Party, leader NA; Fiji Indian Congress Party, leader NA; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim), leader NA; Four Corners Party, leader NA; Fijian Association Party (FAP), Ratu Finau MARA; General Electors' Association, David PICKERING
note: in early 1995, ethnic Fijian members of the All National Congress (ANC) merged with the Fijian Association (FA); the remaining members of the ANC have renamed their party the General Electors' Association
International organization participation
ACP, AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ratu Napolioni MASIREWA
- chancery:
- Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 337-8320
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER
- embassy:
- 31 Loftus Street, Suva
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 218, Suva
- telephone:
- [679] 314466
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
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.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)
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 and a growing tourist industry are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up 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. Fiji's growth slowed in 1997 because the sugar industry suffered from low world prices and rent disputes between farmers and landowners.
Labor force
- total:
- 235,000
- by occupation:
- subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)
Agriculture-products
- sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas;
- cattle, pigs, horses, goats;
- fish catch 13,796 tons (1991)
Exports
- total value:
- $639 million (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- sugar 32%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber
- partners:
- EU 26%, Australia 15%, other Pacific island countries 11%, Japan 6%
Imports
- total value:
- $947 million (c.i.f., 1996)
- commodities:
- machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, consumer goods, chemicals
- partners:
- Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EU 6%, US 6%
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $14.35 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $3.5 million from New Zealand (FY95/96)
Exchange rates
Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1-1.9064 (January 1998), 1.4437 (1997), 1.4033 (1996), 1.4063 (1995), 1.4641 (1994), 1.5418 (1993)
Telephone system
modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- access to important cable link between US and Canada and NZ and Australia; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 6 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 597 km; note-belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
- narrow gauge:
- 597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
Military
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes | army, navy, and a small air wing)
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Fiji.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fiji/1998.