1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
1,129 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Environment
subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
8% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 65% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Maritime claims
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Natural resources
timber, fish, gold, copper; offshore oil potential
Note
located 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean
Terrain
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
18,270 km2; land area: 18,270 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
49% Indian, 46% Fijian, 5% European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and others
Infant mortality rate
22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
176,000; 60% subsistence agriculture, 40% wage earners (1979)
Language
English (official); Fijian; Hindustani
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Literacy
80%
Nationality
noun--Fijian(s); adjective--Fijian
Net migration rate
- 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983)
Population
759,567 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Religion
Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu with a Muslim minority
Total fertility rate
3.3 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Capital
Suva
Communists
some
Constitution
10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); note--a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and awaits final approval
Diplomatic representation
Counselor (Commercial), Vice Consul, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Abdul H. YUSUF; Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone (202) 337-8320; there is a Fijian Consulate in New York; US--Ambassador Leonard ROCHWARGER; Embassy at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address is P. O. Box 218, Suva); telephone [679] 314-466 or 314-069
Elections
none
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
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 St. George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
Independence
10 October 1970 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 December 1987); note--Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara served as prime minister from 10 October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987 election; after a second coup led by Major General Sitiveni Rabuka on 25 September 1987, Ratu Mara was reappointed as prime minister
Legal system
based on British system
Legislative branch
the bicameral Parliament, consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987; the proposed constitution of NA September 1988 provides for a bicameral Parliament
Long-form name
Republic of Fiji
Member of
ACP, ADB, Colombo Plan, EC (associate), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Political parties and leaders
Alliance, primarily Fijian, Ratu Mara; National Federation, primarily Indian, Siddiq Koya; Western United Front, Fijian, Ratu Osea Gavidi; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini Bavadra; coalition of the National Federation Party and the Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini Vuikaba Bavadra
Suffrage
none
Type
military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Economy
Agriculture
principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $677 million
Budget
revenues $260 million; expenditures $233 million, including capital expenditures of $47 million (1988)
Currency
Fijian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
Electricity
215,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 440 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.4950 (January 1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987), 1.1329 (1986), 1.1536 (1985)
Exports
$312 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar 49%, copra, processed fish, lumber; partners--UK 45%, Australia 21%, US 4.7%
External debt
$398 million (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.32 billion, per capita $1,750; real growth rate 12.5%
Imports
$454 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--food 15%, petroleum products, machinery, consumer goods; partners--US 4.8%, NZ, Australia, Japan
Industrial production
growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)
Industries
sugar, copra, tourism, gold, silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11.8% (1988)
Overview
Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a major source of foreign exchange and sugar processing accounts for one-third of industrial output. Industry, including sugar milling, contributes 10% to GDP. Fiji traditionally earned considerable sums of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists who visited each year. In 1987, however, after two military coups, the economy went into decline. GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainly created a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused sugar production to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar and tourism turned in strong performances in 1989, and the economy rebounded vigorously.
Unemployment rate
11% (1988)
Communications
Airports
26 total, 24 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 DC-3 and 1 light aircraft
Highways
3,300 km total (1984)--390 km paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth
Inland waterways
203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Merchant marine
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,872 GRT/49,795 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 2 liquefied gas, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Ports
Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva
Railroads
644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
Telecommunications
modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center; important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; 53,228 telephones; stations--7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
integrated ground and naval forces
Defense expenditures
2.5% of GDP (1988)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 194,433; 107,317 fit for military service; 7,864 reach military age (18) annually