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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Fiji
n : an independent state within the British Commonwealth located
on the Fiji Islands [syn: {Republic of Fiji}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Fiji
Introduction Fiji
-----------------
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). A 1990 constitution
favored native Melanesian control of
Fiji, but led to heavy Indian
emigration; the population loss
resulted in economic difficulties,
but ensured that Melanesians became
the majority. Amendments enacted in
1997 made the constitution more
equitable. Free and peaceful
elections in 1999 resulted in a
government led by an Indo-Fijian,
but a coup in May of 2000 ushered in
a prolonged period of political
turmoil. Parliamentary elections
held in August 2001 provided Fiji
with a democratically elected
government and gave a mandate to the
government of Prime Minister
Laisenia QARASE.
Geography Fiji
--------------
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic
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% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from
November to January
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: includes 332 islands of which
approximately 110 are inhabited
People Fiji
-----------
Population: 856,346 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.5% (male 141,757;
female 136,198)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 273,658;
female 273,100)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male
14,648; female 16,985) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.41% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 23.2 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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: 0.86 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.56 years
female: 71.11 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.13 years
Total fertility rate: 2.83 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 85 (2000 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
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 (1986)
Languages: English (official), Fijian,
Hindustani
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 90%
female: 95% (1999 est.)
Government Fiji
---------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
the Fiji Islands
conventional short form: Fiji
Government type: republic
note: military coup leader Maj. Gen.
Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared
Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Capital: Suva
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: promulgated on 25 July 1990 and
amended on 25 July 1997 to allow
nonethnic Fijians greater say in
government and to make multiparty
government mandatory; entered into
force 28 July 1998; note - the May
1999 election was the first test of
the amended constitution and
introduced open voting - not
racially prescribed - for the first
time at the national level
Legal system: based on British system
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ratu
Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since NA
2000); Vice President Jope SENILOLI
(since NA 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister
Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September
2000); Deputy Prime Minister Ratu
Epeli NAILATIKAU (since NA 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
prime minister from among the
members of Parliament and is
responsible to Parliament; note -
there is also a Presidential Council
that advises the president on
matters of national importance and a
Great Council of Chiefs which
consists of the highest ranking
members of the traditional chiefly
system
elections: president elected by the
Great Council of Chiefs for a five-
year term; prime minister appointed
by the president
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 (34 seats; 24 appointed by
the Great Council of Chiefs, nine
appointed by the president, and one
appointed by the council of Rotuma)
and the House of Representatives (71
seats; 23 reserved for ethnic
Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic
Indians, three reserved for other
ethnic groups, one 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, 2 September,
19 September 2001 (next to be held
NA September 2006)
election results: House of
Representatives - percent of vote by
party - FLP 34.8%, SDL 26%, NFP
10.1%, MV 9.9%, independents 2.7%,
other 16.5%; seats by party - SDL
32, FLP 27, MV 6, NFP 1,
independents 2, other 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed
by the president); Court of Appeal;
High Court; Magistrates' Courts
Political parties and leaders: Bai Kei Viti Party or BKV [Ratu
Tevita MOMOEDONU]; Christian
Democrat Alliance or VLV [leader
NA]; Conservative Alliance Party/
Matanitu Vanua or MV [Ratu Rakuita
VAKALALABURE]; Dodonu Ni Taukei
Party or DNT [leader NA]; Fiji Labor
Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDRHRY];
Fijian Association Party of FAP [Adi
Kuini SPEED]; Fijian Political Party
or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Felipe
BOLE]; General Voters Party or GHP
[leader NA]; Girmit Heritage Party
or GHP [leader NA]; Justice and
Freedom Party or AIM [leader NA];
Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR
[leader NA]; National Federation
Party or NFP (primarily Indian)
[Attar SINGH]; Nationalist Vanua
Tako Lavo Party or NVTLP [Samisoni
BOLATAGICI]; New Labor Unity Party
or NLUP [Tupeni BABA]; Party of
National Unity or PANU [leader NA];
Party of the Truth or POTT [leader
NA]; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo
Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL
[Laisenia QARASE]; United General
Party or UGP [Mick BEDDOES]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO,
participation: G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, OPCW, PCA,
Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Anare
JALE
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996
telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320
chancery: Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador
US: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ronald
K. McMULLEN
embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
telephone: [679] 314466
FAX: [679] 300081
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
Economy Fiji
------------
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
and a growing tourist industry -
with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists
annually - are the major sources of
foreign exchange. Sugar processing
makes up one-third of industrial
activity. Long-term problems include
low investment and uncertain
property rights. The political
turmoil in Fiji has had a severe
impact with the economy shrinking by
2.8% in 2000 and growing by only 1%
in 2001. The Fiji Visitor's Bureau
expects visitor arrivals to reach
pre-coup levels during 2002. The
government's ability to manage its
budget - which is expected to run a
net deficit of 6% in 2002 - will
depend upon a return of political
stability and investor confidence.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.4
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,200
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17%
industry: 25%
services: 58% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 25.5% (1990-91)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 137,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, including subsistence
agriculture 70% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.6% (1999)
Budget: revenues: $427.9 million
expenditures: $531.4 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: tourism, sugar, clothing, copra,
gold, silver, lumber, small cottage
industries
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 515 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.06%
hydro: 81.94%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 478.95 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coconuts, cassava
(tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes,
bananas; cattle, pigs, horses,
goats; fish
Exports: $572 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish,
molasses, coconut oil
Exports - partners: Australia 24.9%, US 20.8%, UK 14.4%,
Japan 5.1%, other Pacific island
countries 5.0%, NZ 3.6% (2000)
Imports: $833 million (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and
transport equipment, petroleum
products, food, chemicals
Imports - partners: Australia 46.2%, NZ 13.1%, Singapore
6.6%, Japan 4.5%, Hong Kong 3.8%, US
3.2%, Taiwan 3.0% (2000)
Debt - external: $162.7 million (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $40.3 million (1995)
Currency: Fijian dollar (FJD)
Currency code: FJD
Exchange rates: Fijian dollars per US dollar -
2.2934 (January 2002), 2.2766
(2001), 2.1286 (2000), 1.9696
(1999), 1.9868 (1998), 1.4437 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Fiji
-------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 80,901 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 5,200 (1997)
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: access to important
cable links between US and Canada as
well as between NZ and Australia;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 541,476 (1999)
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: 88,110 (1999)
Internet country code: .fj
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 7,500 (2000)
Transportation Fiji
-------------------
Railways: total: 597 km
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.610-m gauge
note: belongs to the government-
owned Fiji Sugar Corporation (1995)
Highways: total: 3,440 km
paved: 1,692 km
unpaved: 1,748 km (1996)
Waterways: 203 km
note: 122 km navigable by motorized
craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Ports and harbors: Lambasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Malau,
Savusavu, Suva, Vuda
Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 11,870 GRT/14,787 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 2,
passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1,
roll on/roll off 1, specialized
tanker 1, includes some foreign-
owned ships registered here as a
flag of convenience: Australia 1,
Singapore 4 (2002 est.)
Airports: 27 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 18 (2001)
Military Fiji
-------------
Military branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces
(RFMF), includes ground forces,
naval division
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 231,649 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 127,384 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 9,471 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $35 million (FY00)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.2% (FY00)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Fiji
-------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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