Fiji

total:

0.08 cu km/yr (30%/11%/59%)

per capita:

100.1 cu m/yr (2005)

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

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

1.03 male(s)/female (2014 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 third Sunday in January

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

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, all justices of the Court of Appeal, and judges appointed specifically as Supreme Court judges);
• Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, all puisne judges of the High Court, and judges specifically appointed to the Court of Appeal);
• High Court (chaired by the chief justice and includes a minimum of 10 puisne judges; High Court organized into civil, criminal, family, employment, and tax divisions)

; note - in 1987, the Supreme Court assumed functions formerly performed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice appointed by the president of Fiji on the advice of the prime minister following consultation with the parliamentary leader of the opposition;
• judges of the Supreme Court, the president of the Court of Appeal, the justices of the Court of Appeal, and puisne judges of the High Court are appointed by the president of Fiji, upon the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission, after consulting with the cabinet minister and the committee of the House of Representatives responsible for the administration of justice;
• the chief justice, Supreme Court judges, and justices of Appeal generally required to retire at age 70, but may be waived for one or more sessions of the court;
• puisine judges appointed for not less than 4 years nor more than 7 years with mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts:

Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Winston THOMPSON (since 20 April 2009)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 466-8320

FAX:

[1] (202) 466-8325

chief of mission:

Ambassador Frankie A. REED (since 15 October 2011) note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu

embassy:

158 Princes Rd, Tamavua

mailing address:

P. O. Box 218, Suva

telephone:

[679] 331-4466

FAX:

[679] 330-2267

• 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

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

agriculture:

70%

industry and services:

30% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.6%

highest 10%:

34.9% (2009 est.)

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) (2011)

• 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:

1,686 km

unpaved:

1,754 km (2011)

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.)