GEOGRAPHY OF FIJI

- TOTAL AREA: 18,270 sq km (7,054 sq mi); LAND AREA: 18,270 sq km (7,054 sq mi)

- COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly smaller than New Jersey

- LAND BOUNDARIES: none

- COASTLINE: 1,129 km (610 mi)

- MARITIME CLAIMS: (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

- DISPUTES: none

- CLIMATE: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

- TERRAIN: mostly mountains of volcanic origin

- NATURAL RESOURCES: timber, fish, gold, copper; offshore oil potential

- LAND USE: arable land 8%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 65%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%

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

- DEFORESTATION RATE: 0 net annual percent

- NOTE: located 2,500 km (1,350 mi) north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean

PEOPLE OF FIJI

- POPULATION, YEAR 1992: 750,000

- POPULATION, YEAR 2010 (Projected): 933,000

- POPULATION, YEAR 2025 (Projected): 1,085,000

- POPULATION DENSITY: 106.3 persons per sq mi

- TOTAL URBAN POPULATION: 290,000

- URBAN POPULATION: 38.7%

- TOTAL POPULATION GROWTH: 14,775

- POPULATION GROWTH: 1.97%

- POPULATION DOUBLING TIME: 35.19 years

- TOTAL BIRTHS: 20,025

- BIRTH RATE: 26.7 births per 1000 persons

- FERTILITY RATE: 3.14 children born per woman

- TOTAL DEATHS: 5,250

- DEATH RATE: 7 deaths per 1000 persons

- POPULATION UNDER AGE 15: 287,000

- PERCENT UNDER AGE 15: 38.2%

- POPULATION OVER AGE 65: 22,000

- PERCENT OVER AGE 65: 2.9%

- LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH: 62 years male, 67 years female (1992)

- NET MIGRATION RATE: -10 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

- MARRIAGES: 6,039

- MARRIAGE RATE: 8.3 per 1000 persons

- NATIONALITY: noun - Fijian(s); adjective - Fijian

- ETHNIC DIVISIONS: Indian 49%, Fijian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%

- 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

EDUCATION IN FIJI

- LITERACY: 86% (male 90%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)

- AGES OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION: N/A

- EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURE: 5% of GNP

- EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURE: 15.4% of govt. expenditure

- DAILY NEWSPAPERS: 6

- DAILY NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION: 76,000

- DAILY CIRCULATION: 109 per 1000 persons

- NEWSPRINT CONSUMPTION: 2,530 kg per 1000 persons

- PUBLIC LIBRARIES: 71,000 volumes

- SPECIAL LIBRARIES: 200,000 volumes

- MUSEUMS AND SITES: 5

HEALTH IN FIJI

- MEDICAL CARE EXPENDITURES: 3.6% of gnp

- ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE: 100% with access

- ACCESS TO SAFE WATER: 79.3% with access

- ACCESS TO SAFE WATER, URBAN: 69% with access

- ACCESS TO SAFE WATER, RURAL: 96% with access

- CALORIE CONSUMPTION, TOTAL: 2,769 calories per person per day

- CALORIE CONSUMPTION, ANIMAL: 429 calories per person per day

- CALORIE CONSUMPTION, VEGETABLE: 2,340 calories per person per day

- HOSPITAL BEDS: 364 population per bed

- PHYSICIANS: 325

- PHYSICIANS PER CAPITA: 4.9 per 10,000 persons

- NURSES: 1,342

- NURSES PER CAPITA: 20.4 per 10,000 persons

- CONTRACEPTION USE: 41% of married women

- MATERNAL DEATHS: 8

- MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE: 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births

- TOTAL INFANT MORTALITY: 401

- INFANT MORTALITY RATE: 20 deaths per 1000 births

- MEASLES IMMUNIZATION: 69% of immunized under 12 months

- DPT: 98% immunized under 12 months

- AIDS: 4 cases reported

GOVERNMENT OF FIJI

- LONG-FORM NAME: Republic of Fiji

- TYPE: 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 U.K.)

- CONSTITUTION: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990

- LEGAL SYSTEM: based on British system

- NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)

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

- LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: 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

- JUDICIAL BRANCH: Supreme Court

- LEADERS: Chief of State: President (Acting) Kamisese MARA; Head of Government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA; Deputy Prime Minister Filipe BOLE; Deputy Prime Minister Timoci VESIKULA

- POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: Fijian Political Party (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: none

- ELECTIONS: House of Representatives: last held 14 May 1987 (next to be held 23-29 May 1992); 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

- MEMBER OF: ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

- DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Ambassador Pita Kewa NACUVA; Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20007; telephone (202) 337-8320; there is a Fijian Consulate in New York; US: Ambassador Evelyn I. H. TEEGEN; Embassy at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address is P. O. Box 218, Suva); telephone [679] 314-466; FAX [679] 300-081

- FLAG: light blue with the flag of the U.K. 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

- BRANCHES: Fiji Military Force (FMF; including a naval division, Police)

- MANPOWER AVAILABILITY: males 15-49, 192,056; 105,898 fit for military service; 7,564 reach military age (18) annually

- DEFENSE EXPENDITURES: exchange rate conversion - $22.4 million, 1.7% of GDP (FY 91)

CRIME IN FIJI

- TOTAL OFFENSES: 1,914.7 per 100,000 persons

- MURDER: 4.3 per 100,000 persons

- SEX OFFENSES (including rape): 38.1 per 100,000 persons

- RAPE: 13.2 per 100,000 persons

- SERIOUS ASSAULT: 31.6 per 100,000 persons

- THEFT (all kinds): 1,057.6 per 100,000 persons

- AGGRAVATED THEFT: 522.3 per 100,000 persons

- ROBBERY AND VIOLENT THEFT: 55.3 per 100,000 persons

- BREAKING AND ENTERING: 411.1 per 100,000 persons

- OTHER THEFT: 535.2 per 100,000 persons

- FRAUD: 142.7 per 100,000 persons

- DRUG OFFENSES: 17.1 per 100,000 persons

ECONOMY OF FIJI

- OVERVIEW: 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%.

- GDP: exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $1,700; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)

- GDP, AGRICULTURE: 20.19 percent of GDP from agriculture

- LABOR FORCE: 235,000; subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987)

- LABOR FORCE, FEMALES: 19.7% ages 15/64

- ORGANIZED LABOR: about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983)

- INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): 7.0% (1991)

- UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 5.9% (1991 est.)

- BUDGET: revenues $413 million; expenditures $464 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1992 est.)

- EXPORTS: $646 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.); commodities: sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber; partners: EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6%

- IMPORTS: $840 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.); commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32%, food 15%, petroleum products, consumer goods, chemicals; partners: Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%

- EXTERNAL DEBT: $428 million (December 1990 est.)

- INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

- ELECTRICITY: 215,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 430 kWh per capita (1990)

- INDUSTRIES: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries

- AGRICULTURE: accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats

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

- CURRENCY: Fijian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents

- EXCHANGE RATES: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.5038 (January 1993), 1.4855 (January 1992), 1.4756 (1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987)

- FISCAL YEAR: calendar year

- MINING / QUARRYING:

Silver: 1 metric tons

Gold: 4,221 kilograms

- MANUFACTURING:

Beer: 175,000 hectoliters

Cigarettes: 445,000,000

Sawnwood: 94,000 cubic meters

Cement: 58,000 metric tons

- ENERGY:

Electricity: 53,000 metric tons coal equivalent

Energy Consumption: 481 kwh per capita

AGRICULTURE OF FIJI

- LAND IN AGRICULTURE: 16.42%

- AGRICULTURAL POPULATION DENSITY: 245.33 persons per sq km

- TOTAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS: 100,000

- AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, 1991: 38.5% of workforce

- AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS: $80,800,000

- AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS: $218,500,000

- FOOD AND ANIMALS IMPORTED: $68,100,000

- FOOD AND ANIMALS EXPORTED: $212,800,000

- AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS:

Cereal: 35,000 metric tons

Rice: 33,000 metric tons

Maize (Corn): 2,000 metric tons

Potatoes: 2,000 metric tons

Cassavas: 36,000 metric tons

Yams: 6,000 metric tons

Groundnuts: 0 metric tons

Fruits: 14,000 metric tons

Sugar Cane: 3,380,000 metric tons

Oranges: 0 metric tons

Bananas: 6,000 metric tons

Coffee: 1,000 metric tons

Cocoa Beans: 2,000 metric tons

Tobacco: 0 metric tons

- ANIMALS:

Horses: 43,000

Cattle: 158,000

Pigs: 15,000

Goats: 123,000

Chickens: 3,000,000

- ANIMAL PRODUCTS:

Total Meat: 9,000 metric tons

Beef: 2,000 metric tons

Goat Meat: 1,000 metric tons

Pig Meat: 1,000 metric tons

Poultry: 6,000 metric tons

- DAIRY PRODUCTS:

Cow Milk: 62,000 metric tons

Butter and Ghee: 1,400 metric tons

- MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS:

Fish Catches: 32,800 metric tons

Eggs: 2,050 metric tons

Honey: 49 metric tons

- AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT:

Agricultural Tractors: 4,310 in use

COMMUNICATIONS IN FIJI

- RAILROADS: 644 km (348 mi) 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation

- HIGHWAYS: 3,300 km (1,782 mi) total (1984) - 1,590 km (859 mi) paved; 1,290 km (697 mi) gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth

- PASSENGER CARS: 37,500

- INLAND WATERWAYS: 203 km (110 mi); 122 km (66 mi) navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

- PORTS: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva

- SHIP CARGO ENTERED: 3,552,000 tons

- MERCHANT MARINE: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 40,072 GRT/47,187 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off, 2 container, 1 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 cargo

- CIVIL AIR: 1 D.C.-3 and 1 light aircraft

- AIRPORTS: 25 total, 22 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

- TELECOMMUNICATIONS: 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 U.S.-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

- TELEPHONES: 87 per 1000 persons

- TOTAL RADIOS: 430,000

- RADIOS: 573 per 1000 persons

- TOTAL TELEVISIONS: 11,000

- TELEVISIONS: 14 per 1000 persons

TRAVEL IN FIJI

- REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Passport, proof of sufficient funds and onward/return ticket required. Visa issued on arrival for stay up to 30 days, may be extended up to 6 months. For further information consult Embassy of Fiji, 2233 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., #240, Washington, D.C. 20007 (202/337-8320) or Mission to the U.N., One United Nations Plaza, 26th Floor, New York, N. Y. 10017 (212/355-7316).

- HEALTH: Fiji is free from most tropical diseases, including malaria. Drinking water is safe in all cities and major tourist resorts. Yellow fever vaccination is required of travelers arriving from infected areas. Health requirements change; check latest information.

- TOURIST OFFICES: Fiji Visitors Bureau, Thomson St., Box 92, Suva, Tel 30-2433, Fax 30-0970.

- WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Climate is tropical, with high humidity and little seasonal change. Rainfall can be heavy. Dress is generally casual.

- TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to Fiji from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 679 [country code] + local number.

- TIME: 17 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

- ELECTRIC CURRENT: 220V, 50-CYCLES, AC

- NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day (Jan 1); Prophet's Birthday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (variable); Queen's Birthday (2nd Monday in June); Bank Holiday (1st Monday in Aug); Fiji Day (2nd Monday in Oct); Prince Charles' Birthday (3rd Monday in Nov); Diwali (variable); Christmas Day (Dec 25); Boxing Day (Dec 26)

- TOURIST ARRIVALS: 259,000

- TOURIST RECEIPTS: $211,000,000

- TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Viti Levu--port, Nakamakama village; volcanic islands, lush tropical scenery, coral reefs, water sports, sand beaches, local handicrafts.

- IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.

- Map of Fiji: