Fiji

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

500,000 (1997)

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 links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

65,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4,300 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

NA

Televisions

21,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $540.65 million expenditures: $742.65 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$213 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$40.3 million (1995)

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 300,000 tourists visit each year, including thousands of Americans following the start of regularly scheduled non-stop air service from Los Angeles. Fiji's growth slowed in 1997 because the sugar industry suffered from low world prices and rent disputes between farmers and landowners. Drought in 1998 further damaged the sugar industry, but its recovery in 1999 contributed to robust GDP growth. Long-term problems include low investment and uncertain property rights.

Electricity - consumption

512 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

550 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 20% hydro: 80% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 - 1.9654 (January 2000), 1.9696 (1999), 1.9868 (1998), 1.4437 (1997), 1.4033 (1996), 1.4063 (1995)

Exports

$393 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

sugar 32%, clothing, gold, processed fish, lumber

Exports - partners

Australia 34%, UK 18%, other Pacific island countries 11%, US 11%, NZ 5%, Japan 5% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.9 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 16.5% industry: 25.5% services: 58% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$612 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals

Imports - partners

Australia 45%, NZ 15%, Japan 7%, US 5%, Singapore 4% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

2.9% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (1999 est.)

Labor force

235,000

Labor force - by occupation

subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

6% (1997 est.)

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 10% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 10% forests and woodland: 65% other: 11% (1993 est.)

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

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

Suva

Constitution

10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note - the May 1999 election was the first test of the amended constitution and introduced open voting - not racially prescribed - for the first time at the national level

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji

Data code

FJ

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Osman SIDDIQUE embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 314466 FAX: [679] 300081

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 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (acting president since 15 December 1993, president since 12 January 1994); Vice President Ratu Josefa Iloilo ULUIVUDA (since 18 January 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mahendra CHAUDHRY (since 18 May 1999); Deputy Prime Ministers Tupeni BABA (since NA 1999) and Adi Kuini Vuikaba SPEED (since NA 1999) 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

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 note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

Independence

10 October 1970 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president

Legal system

based on British system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the 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) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the Rotuman constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 11 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fiji Labor Party 37, others 34

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Fellowship Party (Veitokani ni Lewenivanua Vakarisito Party) or VLV (primarily Methodist Fijian) [leader NA]; Conservative Party of Fiji or CPF [leader NA]; Fiji Conservative Party or FCP [leader NA]; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim) [leader NA]; Fiji Indian Congress Party [leader NA]; Fiji Indian Liberal Party [leader NA]; Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; Fijian Association Party or FAP [Adi Kuini SPEED]; Fijian Nationalist Party or FNP [Sakeasi BUTADROKA]; Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA]; Four Corners Party [leader NA]; General Electors' Association [David PICKERING]; General Voters Party or GVP [Leo SMITH]; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Jai Ram REDDY]; National Unity Party [Apisai TORA] note: in early 1995, ethnic Fijian members of the All National Congress or ANC merged with the Fijian Association or FA; the remaining members of the ANC have renamed their party the General Electors' Association

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). A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian. Fiji has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world.

Military branches

Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes ground and naval forces)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$24 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.1% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 223,496 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 123,051 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 9,426 (2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 141,779; female 136,212) 15-64 years: 63% (male 263,127; female 262,686) 65 years and over: 4% (male 13,405; female 15,285) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

23.48 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

14.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.94 years male: 65.54 years female: 70.45 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.6% male: 93.8% female: 89.3% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian

Net migration rate

-3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

832,494 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.41% (2000 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 (1986)

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: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.89 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

25 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 17 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,870 GRT/14,787 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 1, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Labasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu, Suva

Railways

total: 597 km; note - belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation narrow gauge: 597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)

Waterways

203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges