"text":"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."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand"
"text":"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.)<br><br><strong>note:</strong> a 2010 law replaces 'Fijian' with 'iTaukei' when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> a 2010 law replaces 'Fijian' with 'iTaukei' when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji"
"text":"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.)"
"text":"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":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Air pollutants":{
"particulate matter emissions":{
"text":"10.19 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)"
},
"carbon dioxide emissions":{
"text":"2.05 megatons (2016 est.)"
},
"methane emissions":{
"text":"0.95 megatons (2020 est.)"
}
},
"Total water withdrawal":{
"municipal":{
"text":"25.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
},
"industrial":{
"text":"9.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
},
"agricultural":{
"text":"50 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
}
},
"Total renewable water resources":{
"text":"28.55 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)"
},
"Climate":{
"text":"tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation"
},
"Land use":{
"agricultural land":{
"text":"23.3% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: arable land":{
"text":"arable land: 9% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent crops":{
"text":"permanent crops: 4.7% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent pasture":{
"text":"permanent pasture: 9.6% (2018 est.)"
},
"forest":{
"text":"55.7% (2018 est.)"
},
"other":{
"text":"21% (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Revenue from forest resources":{
"forest revenues":{
"text":"0.59% of GDP (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Revenue from coal":{
"coal revenues":{
"text":"0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"57.7% of total population (2021)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
"text":"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":{
"text":"parliamentary republic"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Suva (on Viti Levu)"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"18 08 S, 178 25 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"daylight saving time":{
"text":"+1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu"
},
"Independence":{
"text":"10 October 1970 (from the UK)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Fiji (Independence) Day, 10 October (1970)"
},
"Constitution":{
"history":{
"text":"several previous; latest signed into law 6 September 2013"
"text":"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"
"text":"common law system based on the English model"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
},
"Citizenship":{
"citizenship by birth":{
"text":"no"
},
"citizenship by descent only":{
"text":"at least one parent must be a citizen of Fiji"
},
"dual citizenship recognized":{
"text":"yes"
},
"residency requirement for naturalization":{
"text":"at least 5 years residency out of the 10 years preceding application"
}
},
"Suffrage":{
"text":"18 years of age; universal"
},
"Executive branch":{
"chief of state":{
"text":"President Jioji Konousi KONROTE (since 12 November 2015)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Voreqe \"Frank\" BAINIMARAMA (since 22 September 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"Jioji Konousi KONROTE reelected president (unopposed)"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"last held on 14 November 2018 (next to be held in 2022)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)"
"text":"FijiFirst [Veroqe \"Frank\" BAINIMARAMA]<br>Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]<br>Fiji United Freedon Party or FUFP [Jagath KARUNARATNE]<br>National Federation Party or NFP [Biman PRASAD] (primarily Indian)<br>Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Lynda TABUYA]<br>Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA<br>Unity Fiji [Adi QORO]"
"text":"2000 M Street NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 466-8320"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 466-8325"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Joseph James CELLA (since 23 December 2019); note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[679] 331-4466"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"158 Princes Rd, Tamavua"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"P. O. Box 218, Suva"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[679] 330-8685"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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)":{
"text":"Fijian canoe; national color: light blue"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"God Bless Fiji"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> 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"
"text":"<p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p>"
"text":"<p>Fiji has a relatively sophisticated communications infrastructure with the highest mobile and Internet penetration in the Pacific Islands; aggressively developing LTE and 5G, though the pandemic negatively affected the economy, largely reliant on tourism; population is spread across more than 100 islands, yet most live on two main islands, with communications based on link by a submarine cable system; cables provide a secure link during natural disasters, protecting telecom connectivity; provider plans to expand fiber infrastructure to remote islands (2021)</p> (2020)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments"
"text":"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"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December"
"text":"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)"
"text":"human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Fiji and Fijians abroad; Fijian women and children and victims from Thailand and China are sex trafficked in illegal brothels, local hotels, private homes, and massage parlors; Fijian children sent to live with families in larger cities are vulnerable to forced labor or sexual activity in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, or school fees; labor traffickers exploit Southeast Asian workers on small informal farms and factories and in construction; Southeast Asian fisherman may be subject to forced labor on Fijian-flagged ships or foreign-flagged ships transiting Fijian ports and water"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"Tier 2 Watch List — Fiji does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; authorities maintained anti-trafficking law enforcement, investigating a similar number of cases as the prior year and convicting a trafficker for the first time since 2014; a government-convened working group finalized an updated anti-trafficking national action plan; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts; law enforcement was often unaware of the definition of trafficking, procedures for interviewing victims, and how to proactively screen vulnerable populations for trafficking victims; inspectors did not adequately investigate labor violations for trafficking indicators or provide adequate support to victims (2020)"
