Fiji Research Paper

Anthony Tang
Erika Rantung
Geography Per. 7
December 12, y
Fiji
Located in the in the South Pacific Ocean, Fiji is a slice of heavenly paradise on earth. Officially the Republic of Fiji, this beautiful country is composed of 332 separate islands, of which only 110 are inhabited. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, provide homes for 87 percent of the Fijian population of 850,000. The rustic capital of Fiji is Suva, which is also the largest city population wise in Fiji. Interestingly, 75 percent of the Fijian population live on the coast of Viti Levu. Most of the islands of Fiji were formed by volcanic activity and today there is still active geothermal activity on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Its closest neighbors are
Vanuatu to the west, France’s New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand’s Kermadec to southeast, Tonga to the east, France’s Wallis and Futuna to the northeast, and Tuvalu to the north.
Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium B.C. by local islanders. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Dutch and British explored the Fiji islands. The British eventually made the Fiji islands a Crown Colony, and it remained so until 1970, when the Fijians claimed their freedom. During World War ll, thousands of Fijians volunteered to aid the Allied efforts via drafting soldiers for the New Zealand and Australian army units. The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) consists of land and naval units. It includes 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, and includes a 300-man strong Navy unit, which is relatively small compared to the some of the larger countries in the world such as the United States of America and China.
Fiji is one of the most developed economies in the Pacific island due to the abundance of wood, mineral, and fish resources. Today, the main source of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and its sugar exports. The country’s currency is the Fijian dollar.
The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, who are Melanesians and Indo-Fijians, who are descendants of Indian contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the the 19th century. There is also a slight amount of Rotuman, natives of Rotuma island, Europeans, Chinese, and other Pacific island minorities. The native Fijians make up 54.3 percent of the population and Indo-Fijians make up 38.1 percent. Relationships between native Fijians and Indo-Fijians are often strained, and due to this rising tension the Indo-Fijian population has decreased significantly in the last two decades.
The native Fijians are mostly Christian while Indo-Fijians are mostly Hindu or Muslim, although a small minority are Christian. 34.6 percent of Fijians are Methodists, while 9.1 percent are Roman Catholic, 5.7 percent are Assembly of God, 3.9 percent are Seventh Day Adventist, 0.8 percent are Anglican, 27.9 percent are Hindu, and 6.3 percent are Muslim. The largest Christian denomination is the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. Curiously, with 36.2 percent of the population, the proportion of the of the population believing in Methodism is higher in Fiji than in any other nation.
Fiji covers a total area of 194,000 square kilometer or 75,000 square miles, of which around 10 percent is land. The islands are mountainous, and covered with lush thick tropical forests. The largest and most important cities are Suva, Nadi, and Lautoka which contain tourist attractions, airports, and political buildings.
The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm most of the year round. The warm season is from November to April and the cooler season lasts from May to October. Rainfall is variable; the warmer season experiences heavier rainfall, especially inland. Winds are moderate, though the occasional cyclones occur about once a year (10-12 times per decade).
Fiji’s culture is a rich combination of Native Fijian, Indo-Fijian, Asian and European traditions, comprising of language, food, beliefs, architecture, arts, crafts, music, dance, and sports.
Fijian culture is a vibrant and a important component of everyday life. Fiji’s culture was showcased at the World exposition held in Vancouver, Canada in 1986 and most recently, at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Fiji has a significant amount of tourism due to the popular islands with crystal clear water and the trademark white sand. Fiji has a significant amount of soft coral reefs, and scuba diving, surfing and various other water sports are common tourist activities. In general Fiji is a mid-range priced vacation with a variety of 5-star resorts and hotels. 75 percent of visitors stated they came for a vacation or holiday. A Fiji honeymoon is very popular, as is family friendly vacations.
Fiji has extreme significance to me because of the fact I will be attending a mission trip with the United States Christian China Instituted (USSCI) this summer to Fiji. I wanted to fully incase myself in the Fijian culture, so this report would be the means to prepare and ready myself for this upcoming once in a lifetime experience. I wanted to have as much knowledge on every aspect of Fiji so I could fully devoted my precious time to helping the citizens of Fiji, and this report helped me
immensely.

Work Cited
Brown, Jake T. "Fiji." Wikipedia. 10 Oct. 2013. Wikimedia Foundation. 7 Oct. 2011 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji>.
Bingwor, Errol P. "U.S. Relations With Fiji." U.S. Department of State. 10 Sept. 2012. U.S. Department of State. 12 Oct. 2013