Fiji

total:

0.07 cu km/yr (14%/14%/71%)

per capita:

82 cu m/yr (2000)

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

noun:

Fijian(s)

adjective:

Fijian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Fiji

conventional short form:

Fiji

local long form:

Republic of Fiji/Matanitu ko Viti

local short form:

Fiji/Viti

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)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins fourth Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in March

• enacted 25 July 1997;
• effective 28 July 1998;
• note - constitution encourages multiculturalism and makes multiparty government mandatory

chief of state:

President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU (since 30 July 2009)

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;
• former President ILOILOVATU appointed Commodore Voreqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA interim prime minister under the military regime

cabinet:

• Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament;
• note - coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet

; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• under the constitution, president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• in 2007 the Great Council of Chiefs was suspended from its role in electing the president;
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU was appointed by Chief Justice Anthony GATES

• Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
• Court of Appeal;
• High Court;
• Magistrates' Courts

• 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 [Sitiveni RABUKA] (primarily Fijian), 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 [Pramond RAE] (primarily Indian);
• 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]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Winston THOMPSON

chancery:

2000 M Street, NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 466-8320

FAX:

[1] (202) 466-8325

chief of mission:

Ambassador C. Steven MCGANN

embassy:

31 Loftus Street, Suva

mailing address:

P. O. Box 218, Suva

telephone:

[679] 331-4466

FAX:

[679] 330-0081

• 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 blue symbolizes the Pacific ocean and the Union Jack reflects the links with Great Britain;
• the shield - taken from Fiji's coat of arms - depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George;
• the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove

agriculture:

70%

industry and services:

30% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.6%

highest 10%:

34.9%

• sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (manioc), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas;
• cattle, pigs, horses, goats;
• fish

general assessment:

modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center

domestic:

• telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited islands;
• most towns and large villages have automatic telephone exchanges and direct dialing;
• combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 per 100 persons

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)

• Fiji TV, a publicly-traded company, operates a free-to-air channel as well as Sky Fiji and Sky Pacific multi-channel pay-TV services;
• state-owned commercial company, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Ltd, operates 6 radio stations - 2 public broadcasters and 4 commercial broadcasters with multiple repeaters;
• 5 radio stations with repeaters operated by Communications Fiji, Ltd;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2009)

total:

597 km

country comparison to the world: 108

narrow gauge:

597 km 0.600-m gauge

note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December (2008)

total:

3,440 km

country comparison to the world: 162

paved:

1,692 km

unpaved:

1,748 km (2000)

males age 16-49:

233,240

females age 16-49:

222,587 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

183,730

females age 16-49:

188,325 (2010 est.)

male:

8,403

female:

8,039 (2010 est.)