Fiji

Internet country code

.fj

Internet hosts

8,987 (2006)

Internet users

61,000 (2004)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2 satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

102,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

142,200 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

NA

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $720.5 million expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Currency (code)

Fijian dollar (FJD)

Current account balance

$-465.8 million

Debt - external

$127 million (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$63.9 million (2004)

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, remittances from Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity but is not efficient. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget. Yet, because of a tourist boom, short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly.

Electricity - consumption

721.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

775.7 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001)

Exports

$719.6 million f.o.b. (2005)

Exports - commodities

sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil

Exports - partners

US 19.7%, Australia 17%, UK 12.3%, Japan 5.4%, Samoa 4.1% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.81 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.255 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 8.9% industry: 13.5% services: 77.6% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.7% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

Singapore 27.4%, Australia 23.6%, NZ 18.9%, Thailand 4.5% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2005)

Labor force

137,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 70% industry and services: 30% (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

10,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

25.5% (1990-91)

Unemployment rate

7.6% (1999)

Area

total: 18,270 sq km land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

1,129 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

18 00 S, 175 00 E

Geography - note

includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added

Natural hazards

cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Natural resources

timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Administrative divisions

4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western

Capital

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)

Constitution

enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti local short form: Fiji/Viti

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 331-4466 FAX: [679] 330-0081

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA

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

Government type

republic

Independence

10 October 1970 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on British system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1 September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held 6-13 May 2006) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 27.5%, FLP 26.5%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, NFP 1.2%, independents 1.4%, UGP .3%; seats by party - SDL 32, FLP 27, MV 6, NLUP 2, NFP 1, independents 2, UGP 1

National holiday

Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

Political parties and leaders

Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or CAMV [Ratu Josefa DIMURI]; 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 (primarily Fijian) [Sitiveni RABUKA], 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 (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; 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 General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Background

Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 215,104 females age 18-49: 212,739 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 163,960 females age 18-49: 178,714 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 9,266 females age 18-49: 8,916 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.2% (FY02)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061) 15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

22.55 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

600 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.82 years male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 95.5% female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 24.6 years male: 24.1 years female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian

Net migration rate

-2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

905,949 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

1.4% (2006 est.)

Religions

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

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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva

Railways

total: 597 km narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005)

Roadways

total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999)

Waterways

203 km note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004)