SPAMfighter information about
Fiji
| The data on this page is obtained from The World Factbook. |
 Communications information
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| SPAMfighters: | 234 |
| Internet users: | 61,000 (2004) |
| Internet hosts: | 8,987 (2006) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
| Internet country code: | .fj |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 102,000 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 142,200 (2004) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: country code - 679; access to important cable links between United States and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2 satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: | 541,476 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations: | NA |
| Televisions: | 88,110 (1999) |
 Geographical information
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| 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: |
total: 18,270 sq km land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 1,129 km |
| Maritime claims: |
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added |
| Climate: | tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain: | mostly mountains of volcanic origin |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m |
| Natural resources: | timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower |
| Land use: |
arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | cyclonic storms can occur from November to January |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited |
 People information
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| Population: | 905,949 (July 2006 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061) 15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 24.6 years male: 24.1 years female: 25 years (2006 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.4% (2006 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 22.55 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Death rate: | 5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 69.82 years male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 600 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian |
| Ethnic groups: | Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 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 |
| Languages: | English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 95.5% female: 91.9% (2003 est.) |
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Governmental information
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| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti local short form: Fiji/Viti |
| Government type: | 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) |
| Administrative divisions: | 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western |
| Independence: | 10 October 1970 (from UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970) |
| Constitution: | enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998 |
| Legal system: | based on British system |
| Suffrage: | 21 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA |
| Legislative branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1 September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held 6-13 May 2006) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 27.5%, FLP 26.5%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, NFP 1.2%, independents 1.4%, UGP .3%; seats by party - SDL 32, FLP 27, MV 6, NLUP 2, NFP 1, independents 2, UGP 1 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates´ Courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or CAMV [Ratu Josefa DIMURI]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Sitiveni RABUKA], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio ´On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the Truth or POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 331-4466 FAX: [679] 330-0081 |
| 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 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 |
 Economical information
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| Economy - overview: | Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Fiji´s sugar has special access to European Union markets, but will be harmed by the EU´s decision to cut sugar subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity but is not efficient. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government´s ability to manage its budget. Yet, because of a tourist boom, short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $5.255 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $2.81 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.7% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $5,900 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 8.9% industry: 13.5% services: 77.6% (2001 est.) |
| Labor force: | 137,000 (1999) |
| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 70% industry and services: 30% (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 7.6% (1999) |
| Population below poverty line: | 25.5% (1990-91) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3% (2005) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $720.5 million expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish |
| Industries: | tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 775.7 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 18.5% hydro: 81.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 721.4 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 10,000 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day |
| Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $-465.8 million |
| Exports: | $719.6 million f.o.b. (2005) |
| Exports - commodities: | sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil |
| Exports - partners: | US 19.7%, Australia 17%, UK 12.3%, Japan 5.4%, Samoa 4.1% (2005) |
| Imports: | $1.462 billion c.i.f. (2005) |
| Imports - commodities: | manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals |
| Imports - partners: | Singapore 27.4%, Australia 23.6%, NZ 18.9%, Thailand 4.5% (2005) |
| Debt - external: | $127 million (2004 est.) |
| Currency (code): | Fijian dollar (FJD) |
| Currency code: | FJD |
| Exchange rates: | Fijian dollars per United States dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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Transportations information
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| Airports: | 28 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 18 (2006) |
| Railways: |
total: 597 km narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005) |
| Roadways: |
total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999) |
| Waterways: |
203 km note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004) |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006) |
| Ports and terminals: | Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva |
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Military information
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| Military branches: | Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces (2006) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| Manpower available for military service: |
males age 18-49: 215,104 females age 18-49: 212,739 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 163,960 females age 18-49: 178,714 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 9,266 females age 18-49: 8,916 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $36 million (2004) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.2% (FY02) |
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Information about transnational issues
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| Disputes - international: | none |
