What are the Key Facts of Fiji?

Where is Fiji?

Fiji is a group of islands located in Oceania. This island nation is located in the South Pacific Ocean, around 2/3rd of the distance from Hawaii to New Zealand.

What is the Geography of Fiji?

Fiji consists of over 330 islands and 500 islets. Only 110 of the islands are inhabited. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are the largest islands in the country, making up 87% of the total landmass. Other important islands of the country are Taveuni, Ovalau, and Gau. The total area of Fiji is 18,274 sq. km (7,056 sq. mi), out of which the land area is 18,274 sq. km (7,056 sq. mi) and water area is 0 sq. km (0 sq. mi).

It has no land boundary but a coastline that is 1,129 km (702 mi) long. Tomanivi is the highest elevation point at 1,324 m (4,384 ft) and the Pacific Ocean at 0 m (0 ft) is the lowest elevation point. The major mountains in Fiji besides Tomainivi are Koroyanitu and Sorolevu. There are no natural lakes in this Oceanic country. However, there are many rivers and the most important ones are Reva, Navua, Wainikoroiluva, Dreketi, Waibula, Lovoni, Wailevu, etc.

The volcanic activity millions of years ago gave rise to these mountainous islands, which are now covered by thick forests. Most of the volcanic mountains are either extinct or dormant. Stunning coral reefs form more than 6,000 sq mi (2,317 sq mi) of land area. The reef system in Fiji consists of over 298 hard coral species, 467 species of mollusks, and 1,198 species of reef fish.

Every year thousands of tourists visit Fiji to enjoy the picturesque natural beauty of the place, mainly coral reefs, crystal clear water, and white sand beaches.

Fiji has a tropical climate that remains warm throughout the year, even the winters. 25 °C (77 °F) is the average temperature of the Fiji archipelago. During summertime (December-January), the temperature goes up above 30°C (86°F). However, during winter (July-August) the temperature comes down to 18 °C (64 °F).

The best time to visit Fiji is from May to October when the dry season of winter prevails. The climate remains a bit cooler, less humid, and drier than usual. This is the best time because the tourists can enjoy outdoor activities in more pleasant weather.

What is the Economy of Fiji?

The economy of Fiji is one of the leading most economies among the Pacific islands. Despite its comparatively developed economy, it still has a large subsistence sector. One of the main advantages of the Fijian economy is that it is endowed with natural resources including minerals, forests, and fish resources.

In 2018, the nominal GDP grew at a rate of 3.5% (slower than 5.4% in 2017) to reach US$5,524 million. Fiji exported $950 million value of goods and imported $2.44 billion value of goods, resulting in a negative balance of trade of US$1.49 billion. The major export items are water, processed fish, non-fillet frozen fish, and raw sugar. The major import items are cars, refined petroleum, wheat, delivery trucks, and non-fillet frozen fish.

The rate of unemployment in Fiji was 4.2% in 2018. The average unemployment rate in this island nation has been 4.95% during 1982-2018. Though the country is popularly known for having the happiest people on earth (according to a survey), it is increasingly suffering from rising inequality and poverty.

If the international poverty line is considered, less than 2% of the Fijian population lives in extreme poverty. If the lower-middle-income class poverty line is considered, 14.3% of the population suffers from poverty. In case, the upper-middle-income class poverty line is considered, around half of the population is considered to live in poverty and are unable to meet their basic needs. If the Pacific islands are considered, Fiji has the lowest rate of poverty.

Around 98.6% of the population in Fiji has access to electricity, as per 2016 data. As of 2017, 25 babies out of the 1,000 born die before reaching 5-years of age.

What is the Transportation System of Fiji?

3,440 km (2,138 mi) of roadway is present in Fiji. While 1,686 km (1,048 mi) is paved, 1,754 km (1,090 mi) is unpaved. There are 24 airports in the country, out of which 4 have paved runways and 24 have unpaved runways. Nadi International Airport and Nausori International Airport are the two main airports of the country.

There is 203 km (126 mi) of waterways available in Fiji. In fact, 122 km (76 mi) of the waterway can be navigated by motorized crafts as well as 200-metric-ton barges. The country has 60 merchant marine ships. Levuka, Lautoka, and Suva are the major seaports of Fiji. 597 km (371 mi) of the narrow-gauge railway network is also available, which is used by the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation during May-to-December.

What International Organizations is Fiji part of?

WTO, UN, IMF, WHO, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, SPC, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WIPO, WMO, Sparteca (suspended), ITUC (NGOs), WFTU (NGOs)