1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 18,270 km2 land area: 18,270 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
1,129 km
Environment
subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
10 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 65% other: 19%
Location
Oceania, 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean
Map references
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines) continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential
Terrain
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
People and Society
Birth rate
24.74 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.59 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%
Infant mortality rate
18.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
235,000 by occupation: subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)
Languages
English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 64.86 years male: 62.62 years female: 67.21 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1985) total population: 86% male: 90% female: 81%
Nationality
noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian
Net migration rate
-8.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
756,762 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.95% (1993 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)
Total fertility rate
2.98 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western, Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
Capital
Suva
Chief of State
President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987); Vice President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 14 April 1992); Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 14 April 1992)
Constitution
10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; the 1990 Constitution is currently still under review (February 1993)
Digraph
FJ
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Pita Kewa NACUVA chancery: Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 337-8320 consulate: New York
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet, Great Councils of Chiefs (highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system)
FAX
[679] 300-081
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 Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
Head of Government
Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Filipe BOLE (since 11 June 1992); Deputy Prime Minister Ratu Timoci VESIKULA (since 11 June 1993)
House of Representatives
last held 23-29 May 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
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 Constitution of 23 September 1988 provides for a bicameral Parliament
Member of
ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Fiji conventional short form: Fiji
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Political parties and leaders
Fijian Political Party (SVT - primarily Fijian), leader Maj. Gen. Sitivini RABUKA; National Federation Party (NFP; primarily Indian), Siddiq KOYA; Christian Fijian Nationalist Party (CFNP), Sakeasi BUTADROKA; Fiji Labor Party (FLP), Jokapeci KOROI; All National Congress (ANC), Apisai TORA; General Voters Party (GVP), Max OLSSON; Fiji Conservative Party (FCP), Isireli VUIBAU; Conservative Party of Fiji (CPF), Jolale ULUDOLE and Viliame SAVU; Fiji Indian Liberal Party, Swami MAHARAJ; Fiji Indian Congress Party, Ishwari BAJPAI; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim), leader NA; Four Corners Party, David TULVANUAVOU
Suffrage
none
Type
republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Evelyn I. H. TEEGEN embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 314-466
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats; fish catch nearly 33,000 tons (1989)
Budget
revenues $455 million; expenditures $546 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Currency
1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $815 million
Electricity
215,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1 - 1.5809 (January 1993), 1.5029 (1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988)
Exports
$435 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber partners: EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6%
External debt
$428 million (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$553 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32%, food 15%, petroleum products, consumer goods, chemicals partners: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%
Industrial production
growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
Industries
sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$1,900 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
3% (1992 est.)
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 13% to GDP. Fiji traditionally had 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 uncertainty 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. In 1990 the economy received a setback from cyclone Sina, which cut sugar output by an estimated 21%. Sugar exports recovered in 1991-92.
Unemployment rate
5.9% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 25 usable: 22 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2
Highways
3,300 km total; 1,590 km paved; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth (1984)
Inland waterways
203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Merchant marine
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 40,072 GRT/47,187 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off, 2 container, 1 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 cargo
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 (71 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations - 7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Fiji Military Force (FMF; including a naval division, police)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $22.4 million, about 2% of GDP (FY91/92)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 194,634; fit for military service 107,304; reach military age (18) annually 7,834 (1993 est.)