FIJI GEOGRAPHY Total area: 18,270 km2; land area: 18,270 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey Land boundaries: none Coastline: 1,129 km 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 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 Note: located 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean PEOPLE Population: 744,006 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991) Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Fijian(s); adjective--Fijian Ethnic divisions: Indian 49%, Fijian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% Religion: 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) Language: English (official); Fijian; Hindustani Literacy: 86% (male 90%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.) Labor force: 235,000; subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987) Organized labor: about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983) GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Fiji Type: military coup leader Major General 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) 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 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 Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 December 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Josefata KAMIKAMICA (since NA October 1991); note--Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA served as prime minister from 10 October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987 election; after a second coup led by Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA on 25 September 1987, Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA was reappointed as prime minister Political parties and leaders: Fijian Political Party (primarily Fijian), leader NA; National Federation (primarily Indian), Siddiq KOYA; Western United Front (Fijian), Ratu Osea GAVIDI; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini BAVADRA Suffrage: none Elections: House of Representatives--last held 14 May 1987 (next to be held July 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 Communists: some 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: Charge d'Affaires Ratu Finau MARA; Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 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 or 314-069 Flag: 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 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: $1.3 billion, per capita $1,693; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 5.9 (1991 est.) Budget: revenues $314 million; expenditures $355 million, including capital expenditures of $81 million (1990 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 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 (1980-87), $732 million Currency: Fijian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.4476 (January 1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987), 1.1329 (1986), 1.1536 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation Highways: 3,300 km total (1984)--390 km paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,214 GRT/37,161 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker Civil air: 1 DC-3 and 1 light aircraft Airports: 26 total, 24 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 US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; 53,228 telephones; stations--7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Fiji Military Force (FMF; Army, Navy, Police) Manpower availability: males 15-49, 190,120; 104,861 fit for military service; 7,879 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: $25.8 million, 2.5% of GDP (1988)