Introduction
Background
Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Reelected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Following years of political turmoil, long-delayed legislative elections were held in September 2014 that were deemed "credible" by international observers and that resulted in BAINIMARAMA being reelected. He was reelected in November 2018 in elections deemed free and fair.
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Geography
Location
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates
18 00 S, 175 00 E
Map references
Oceania
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
1,129 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
Climate
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower
Land use
agricultural land: 23.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.7% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 55.7% (2018 est.)
other: 21% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
40 sq km (2012)
Total renewable water resources
28.55 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distribution
approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas
Natural hazards
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian
Ethnic groups
iTaukei 56.8% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indo-Fijian 37.5%, Rotuman 1.2%, other 4.5% (European, part European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese) (2007 est.)
note: a 2010 law replaces 'Fijian' with 'iTaukei' when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji
Languages
English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani
Religions
Protestant 45% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, and Anglican 0.8%), Hindu 27.9%, other Christian 10.4%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other 0.3%, none 0.8% (2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 26.86% (male 128,499/female 122,873)
15-24 years: 15.51% (male 73,993/female 71,139)
25-54 years: 41.05% (male 196,932/female 187,270)
55-64 years: 9.25% (male 43,813/female 42,763)
65 years and over: 7.34% (male 31,556/female 37,136) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 53.4
youth dependency ratio: 44.5
elderly dependency ratio: 8.9
potential support ratio: 11.2 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 29.9 years
male: 29.7 years
female: 30.1 years (2020 est.)
Population distribution
approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas
Urbanization
urban population: 57.7% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
178,000 SUVA (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality rate
34 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107Infant mortality rate
total: 10.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74 years
male: 71.32 years
female: 76.82 years (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 97.8% of population
rural: 88.7% of population
total: 93.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.2% of population
rural: 11.3% of population
total: 6.2% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
3.4% (2018)
Physicians density
0.86 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Hospital bed density
2 beds/1,000 population (2016)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 94% of population
rural: 89% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved: urban: 6% of population
rural: 11% of population
total: 2% of population (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
<100 (2019 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: malaria
Literacy
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.1%
female: 99.1% (2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 15.4%
male: 11.9%
female: 22.4% (2016 est.)
Environment
Environment - current issues
the widespread practice of waste incineration is a major contributor to air pollution in the country, as are vehicle emissions in urban areas; deforestation and soil erosion are significant problems; a contributory factor to erosion is clearing of land by bush burning, a widespread practie that threatens biodiversity
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 10.19 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 2.05 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.95 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 25.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 9.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
28.55 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Climate
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Land use
agricultural land: 23.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 4.7% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 55.7% (2018 est.)
other: 21% (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0.59% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63Urbanization
urban population: 57.7% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: malaria
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 189,390 tons (2011 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 10,322 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5.5% (2013 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Fiji
conventional short form: Fiji
local long form: Republic of Fiji/Matanitu ko Viti
local short form: Fiji/Viti
etymology: the Fijians called their home Viti, but the neighboring Tongans called it Fisi, and in the Anglicized spelling of the Tongan pronunciation - promulgated by explorer Captain James COOK - the designation became Fiji
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January
Administrative divisions
14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu
Independence
10 October 1970 (from the UK)
National holiday
Fiji (Independence) Day, 10 October (1970)
Constitution
history: several previous; latest signed into law 6 September 2013
amendments: proposed as a bill by Parliament and supported by at least three quarters of its members, followed by referral to the president and then to the Electoral Commission, which conducts a referendum; passage requires approval by at least three-quarters of registered voters and assent by the president
Legal system
common law system based on the English model
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Fiji
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: at least 5 years residency out of the 10 years preceding application
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jioji Konousi KONROTE (since 12 November 2015)
head of government: Prime Minister Voreqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA (since 22 September 2014)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
elections/appointments: president elected by Parliament for a 3-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 August 2018 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister endorsed by the president
election results: Jioji Konousi KONROTE reelected president (unopposed)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Parliament (51 seats; members directly elected in a nationwide, multi-seat constituency by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 14 November 2018 (next to be held in 2022)
election results: percent of vote by party - FijiFirst 50%, SODELPA 39.6%, NFP 7.4%; seats by party - FijiFirst 27, SODELPA 21, NFP 3; composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%
Judicial branch
highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, all justices of the Court of Appeal, and judges appointed specifically as Supreme Court judges); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, all puisne judges of the High Court, and judges specifically appointed to the Court of Appeal); High Court (chaired by the chief justice and includes a minimum of 10 puisne judges; High Court organized into civil, criminal, family, employment, and tax divisions)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president of Fiji on the advice of the prime minister following consultation with the parliamentary leader of the opposition; judges of the Supreme Court, the president of the Court of Appeal, the justices of the Court of Appeal, and puisne judges of the High Court appointed by the president of Fiji upon the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission after consulting with the cabinet minister and the committee of the House of Representatives responsible for the administration of justice; the chief justice, Supreme Court judges and justices of Appeal generally required to retire at age 70, but this requirement may be waived for one or more sessions of the court; puisne judges appointed for not less than 4 years nor more than 7 years, with mandatory retirement at age 65
subordinate courts: Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)
Political parties and leaders
FijiFirst [Veroqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA]
Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]
Fiji United Freedon Party or FUFP [Jagath KARUNARATNE]
National Federation Party or NFP [Biman PRASAD] (primarily Indian)
Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Lynda TABUYA]
Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA
Unity Fiji [Adi QORO]
International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca (suspended), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Akuila VUIRA
chancery: 2000 M Street NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 466-8320
FAX: [1] (202) 466-8325
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph James CELLA (since 23 December 2019); note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu
telephone: [679] 331-4466
embassy: 158 Princes Rd, Tamavua
mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
FAX: [679] 330-8685
Flag description
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 blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean and the Union Jack reflects the links with Great Britain; the shield - taken from Fiji's coat of arms - depicts a yellow lion, holding a coconut pod between its paws, above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove of peace
National symbol(s)
Fijian canoe; national color: light blue
National anthem
name: God Bless Fiji
lyrics/music: Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT)
note: adopted 1970; known in Fijian as "Meda Dau Doka" (Let Us Show Pride); adapted from the hymn, "Dwelling in Beulah Land," the anthem's English lyrics are generally sung, although they differ in meaning from the official Fijian lyrics
Economy
Economic overview
Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed and connected of the Pacific island economies. Earnings from the tourism industry, with an estimated 842,884 tourists visiting in 2017, and remittances from Fijian’s working abroad are the country’s largest foreign exchange earners.
Bottled water exports to the US is Fiji’s largest domestic export. Fiji's sugar sector remains a significant industry and a major export, but crops and one of the sugar mills suffered damage during Cyclone Winston in 2016. Fiji’s trade imbalance continues to widen with increased imports and sluggish performance of domestic exports.
The return to parliamentary democracy and successful elections in September 2014 improved investor confidence, but increasing bureaucratic regulation, new taxes, and lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders brought four consecutive years of decline for Fiji on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index. Private sector investment in 2017 approached 20% of GDP, compared to 13% in 2013.
Real GDP growth rate
3% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
3.8% (2015 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.4% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2017)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2019)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$12.178 billion (2019 est.)
$12.232 billion (2018 est.)
$11.783 billion (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$4.891 billion (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$13,684 (2019 est.)
$13,846 (2018 est.)
$13,429 (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
19% of GDP (2018 est.)
18.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
16.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 13.5% (2017 est.)
industry: 17.4% (2017 est.)
services: 69.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 81.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 29% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -51.6% (2017 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores
Overall score: 61.5 (2020)
Starting a Business score: 73.6 (2020)
Trading score: 77.9 (2020)
Enforcement score: 57.1 (2020)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, cassava, taro, poultry, vegetables, coconuts, eggs, milk, ginger, sweet potatoes
Industries
tourism, sugar processing, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 44.2%
industry: 14.3%
services: 41.6% (2011)
Population below poverty line
29.9% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
36.7 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 34.9% (2009 est.)
Budget
revenues: 1.454 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 1.648 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$277 million (2017 est.)
-$131 million (2016 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 29%, Australia 14%, New Zealand 7%, Japan 6%, Tonga 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities
water, refined petroleum, fish, raw sugar, gold (2019)
Imports - partners
Singapore 18%, Australia 13%, China 13.8%, New Zealand 11%, France 11%, South Korea 8% (2017)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, aircraft, cars, wheat, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.116 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$908.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$1.022 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$696.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Fijian dollars (FJD) per US dollar -
2.05955 (2020 est.)
2.17345 (2019 est.)
2.1104 (2018 est.)
2.0976 (2014 est.)
1.8874 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 99.6% (2018)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)
electrification - rural areas: 99.2% (2018)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
338,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154Electricity - from fossil fuels
34% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
38% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55Electricity - from other renewable sources
27% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23Refined petroleum products - consumption
16,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
2.369 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 80,650
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8.66 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 1,097,345
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 117.83 (2019 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: local, interisland, and international telecommunications; subject to occasional devastating cyclones; Fiji is a leader in the Pacific region in terms of development of its ICT (Information & Communications Technology) sector and investment in telecoms infrastructure; mobile services the primary source of Internet access across the region; most advanced economy in the Pacific island region as well as hosting the highest mobile Internet penetration; initial progress towards 5G readiness (2020)
domestic: fixed-line 9 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 118 per 100 persons (2019)
international: country code - 679; landing points for the ICN1, SCCN, Southern Cross NEXT, Tonga Cable and Tui-Samoa submarine cable links to US, NZ, Australia and Pacific islands of Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Fallis & Futuna, and American Samoa; satellite earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
Broadcast media
Fiji TV, a publicly traded company, operates a free-to-air channel; Digicel Fiji operates the Sky Fiji and Sky Pacific multi-channel pay-TV services; state-owned commercial company, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Ltd, operates 6 radio stations - 2 public broadcasters and 4 commercial broadcasters with multiple repeaters; 5 radio stations with repeaters operated by Communications Fiji, Ltd; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available
Internet users
total: 462,860
percent of population: 49.97% (July 2018 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 13,033
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,670,216 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 106.83 million mt-km (2018)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 4 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 1 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 24 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2013)
under 914 m: 19 (2013)
Railways
total: 597 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)
note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December
Roadways
total: 3,440 km (2011)
paved: 1,686 km (2011)
unpaved: 1,754 km (2011)
Waterways
203 km (122 km are navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 97Merchant marine
total: 70
by type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 4, other 48 (2020)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Lautoka, Levuka, Suva
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Force Command, Maritime Command (2021)
Military expenditures
1.6% of GDP (2019)
1.6% of GDP (2018)
1.5% of GDP (2017)
1.2% of GDP (2016)
1% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) have about 3,500 personnel (3,200 Land Force; 300 Maritime Command) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the RFMF is lightly armed and equipped; Australia has provided patrol boats and a few armored personnel carriers; it also provides logistical support for RFMF regional or UN operations; in recent years, China has provided construction equipment and military vehicles (2020)
Military deployments
170 Egypt (MFO); 160 Iraq (UNAMI); 130 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (Jan 2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2013)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
maritime boundary dispute with Tonga