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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 25 usable: 22 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

3,300 km total; 1,590 km paved; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth (1984)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

Merchant marine [time series]

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 [time series]

Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Fiji Military Force (FMF; including a naval division, police)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $22.4 million, about 2% of GDP (FY91/92)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 194,634; fit for military service 107,304; reach military age (18) annually 7,834 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

revenues $455 million; expenditures $546 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $815 million

Electricity [time series]

215,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

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 [time series]

$435 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber partners: EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$428 million (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Industries [time series]

sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$1,900 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

3% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

5.9% (1991 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 18,270 km2 land area: 18,270 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate [time series]

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

1,129 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

10 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 8% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 65% other: 19%

Location [time series]

Oceania, 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean

Map references [time series]

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

(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 [time series]

timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western, Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)

Capital [time series]

Suva

Constitution [time series]

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 [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

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 (Elections) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet, Great Councils of Chiefs (highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system)

Flag [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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) 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)

Legal system [time series]

based on British system

Legislative branch [time series]

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

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Fiji conventional short form: Fiji

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Evelyn I. H. TEEGEN embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 314-466 FAX: [679] 300-081

People

Birth rate [time series]

24.74 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.59 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

18.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

235,000 by occupation: subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 64.86 years male: 62.62 years female: 67.21 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1985) total population: 86% male: 90% female: 81%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian

Net migration rate [time series]

-8.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

756,762 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.95% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

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 [time series]

2.98 children born/woman (1993 est.)