Fiji

noun:

Fijian(s)

adjective:

Fijian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases:

malaria

• the widespread practice of waste incineration is a major contributor to air pollution in the country, as are vehicle emissions in urban areas;
• deforestation and soil erosion are significant problems;
• a contributory factor to erosion is clearing of land by bush burning, a widespread practie that threatens biodiversity

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

particulate matter emissions:

10.19 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

2.05 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.95 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

57.7% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases:

malaria

municipal solid waste generated annually:

189,390 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

10,322 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

5.5% (2013 est.)

municipal:

25.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

9.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

50 million cubic meters (2017 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

etymology:

the Fijians called their home Viti, but the neighboring Tongans called it Fisi, and in the Anglicized spelling of the Tongan pronunciation - promulgated by explorer Captain James COOK - the designation became Fiji

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)

etymology:

the name means "little hill" in the native Fijian (iTaukei) language and refers to a mound where a temple once stood

history:

several previous; latest signed into law 6 September 2013

amendments:

• proposed as a bill by Parliament and supported by at least three quarters of its members, followed by referral to the president and then to the Electoral Commission, which conducts a referendum;
• passage requires approval by at least three-quarters of registered voters and assent by the president

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Fiji

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

at least 5 years residency out of the 10 years preceding application

chief of state:

President Ratu Wiliame KATONIVERE (since 12 November 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Voreqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA (since 22 September 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament

elections/appointments:

• president elected by Parliament for a 3-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 22 October 2021 (next to be held in 2024);
• prime minister endorsed by the president

election results:

Ratu Wiliame KATONIVERE elected president with 28 votes against 23 votes for Teimumu KEPA

description:

unicameral Parliament (51 seats; members directly elected in a nationwide, multi-seat constituency by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 14 November 2018 (next to be held in 2022)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - FijiFirst 50%, SODELPA 39.6%, NFP 7.4%;
• seats by party - FijiFirst 27, SODELPA 21, NFP 3;
• composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%

highest courts:

• 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)

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 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 this requirement may be waived for one or more sessions of the court;
• puisne 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)

• FijiFirst [Veroqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA]
• Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]
• Fiji United Freedon Party or FUFP [Jagath KARUNARATNE]
• National Federation Party or NFP [Biman PRASAD] (primarily Indian)
• Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Lynda TABUYA]
• Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA
• Unity Fiji [Adi QORO]

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Akuila VUIRA

chancery:

1707 L Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 466-8320

FAX:

[1] (202) 466-8325

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.fijiembassydc.com/

chief of mission:

• Ambassador (vacant);
• Charge d'Affaires Tony GREUBEL (since 20 January 2021);
• note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu

embassy:

158 Princes Road, Tamavua, Suva

mailing address:

4290 Suva Place, Washington DC 20521-4290

telephone:

[679] 331-4466

FAX:

[679] 330-2267

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://fj.usembassy.gov/

• 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, holding a coconut pod between its paws, above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George;
• the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove of peace

agriculture:

44.2%

industry:

14.3%

services:

41.6% (2011)

total:

15.4%

male:

11.9%

female:

22.4% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.6%

highest 10%:

34.9% (2009 est.)

• Fiji TV, a publicly traded company, operates a free-to-air channel;
• Digicel Fiji operates the 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

number of registered air carriers:

2 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

1,670,216 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

106.83 million mt-km (2018)

total:

597 km (2008)

narrow gauge:

597 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)

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

total:

3,440 km (2011)

paved:

1,686 km (2011)

unpaved:

1,754 km (2011)

total:

73

by type:

general cargo 20, oil tanker 4, other 49 (2021)

• the RFMF is lightly armed and equipped;
• Australia has provided patrol boats and a few armored personnel carriers;
• it also provides logistical support for RFMF regional or UN operations;
• in recent years, China has provided construction equipment and military vehicles (2020)

current situation:

• human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Fiji and Fijians abroad;
• Fijian women and children and victims from Thailand and China are sex trafficked in illegal brothels, local hotels, private homes, and massage parlors;
• Fijian children sent to live with families in larger cities are vulnerable to forced labor or sexual activity in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, or school fees;
• labor traffickers exploit Southeast Asian workers on small informal farms and factories and in construction;
• Southeast Asian fisherman may be subject to forced labor on Fijian-flagged ships or foreign-flagged ships transiting Fijian ports and water

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — Fiji does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so;
• authorities maintained anti-trafficking law enforcement, investigating a similar number of cases as the prior year and convicting a trafficker for the first time since 2014;
• a government-convened working group finalized an updated anti-trafficking national action plan;
• however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts;
• law enforcement was often unaware of the definition of trafficking, procedures for interviewing victims, and how to proactively screen vulnerable populations for trafficking victims;
• inspectors did not adequately investigate labor violations for trafficking indicators or provide adequate support to victims (2020)