Fiji Research Paper

August 30, 2009

The Fijian Islands

Fiji is one of the most beautiful islands in the world and is known for its beautiful beaches and majestic scenery. Although Fiji has a romantic and majestic image, there are many facts you should know before embarking on a business adventure in the islands. First, Fiji is officially called the Republic of the Fijian Islands, which consists of 322 islands and 522 islets located in the Pacific Ocean. (Fiji) Many of the small islands are coral formations just above sea level and are uninhabited. The countries motto is Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui which means “Fear God and Honour the Queen”. The island of Fiji is located in Greenwich Mean Time and is on the left side of the International Date
There are a large number of islands scattered about to the east of Australia but Fiji precise location is 18 degree 00S latitude and 175 degrees 00E longitude. (CIA) (see Fig.1) The Pacific Ocean has been split into three regions, which are Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Fiji belongs to the region of Melanesia which includes islands such as the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Papua, and Tonga. Fiji is located to east of Vanuatu and to the west of Tonga, with whom Fiji shares its nautical borders. (world ) The border of Fiji extends out 12 nautical miles from the island. (See
These two islands house the majority of the population of Fiji. The island of Viti Levu is the largest isle and is home to 70% of the Islands population or about 600,000 residents. (Fiji) Fiji’s capital city: Suva is located on the south east corner of the island of Viti Levu. A 2007 census reports the approximately 85, 691 people live in the city of Suva, which is about the size of Chico, California. (Fiji) There are three major airports that serve the Fiji. The International airport, located in Nadi, is the main gateway to the island and serves 1.2 million people per year. This airport is very popular because it is located near the Yasawa island group, which is very popular with tourists. (Nadi). There is another airport in Nausori which is located 30 minutes outside the capital city of Suva. Suva is the commercial and political center to the island of Fiji and is home to many activities. In Suva there are over 78 parks such as the Thurston gardens which is a beautiful area to watch the sunrise and sunset. Suva is also home to many museums that host ancient Fijian artifacts.(suva) Not only is Suva a place for recreational activities there are also areas of commercial and retail shopping. Suva has 3 shopping malls to accommodate not only city but suburban dwellers also. One of the major attractions of Suva is the University of the South Pacific who made its