Where is Fiji? Many people actually wonder where this paradise country is located. Well, the answer may shock you. Fiji is actually positioned on the North Fiji Basin microplate between the North Fiji Fracture Zone to the north and the Hunter Fracture Zone to the south on the northeast corner of the Indo-Australian Plate near where it subducts under the Pacific Plate. It is part of the Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes that around the Pacific Ocean.
A group of local Fijians doing Drink Ceremony Volcanic activity built the majority of Fiji's islands roughly 150 million years ago. Some geothermal activity can still be found on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni today.
The geothermal systems on Viti Levu are non-volcanic in origin, with low-temperature surface discharges (between 35 and 60 degrees Celsius (95 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Since the second millennium BC, humans have lived in Fiji, initially as Austronesians, then as Melanesians, with some Polynesian influences. Fiji was first visited by Europeans in the 17th century. After a brief spell as an independent nation, the British founded the Colony of Fiji in 1874.
Fiji was a Crown colony until 1970, when it achieved independence and became the Dominion of Fiji. Following a series of coups, the military administration that had acquired power declared it a republic in 1987.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama took power in a coup in 2006. The Fijian High Court found in 2009 that the military leadership was unconstitutional.
At that point, President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, who had been designated as the nominal head of state by the military, formally repealed the 1997 Constitution and re-installed Bainimarama as interim prime minister.
Ratu Epeli Nailatikau succeeded Iloilo as president later that year. [18] After years of delay, a democratic election was held on September 17, 2014. International observers considered the election genuine after Bainimarama's FijiFirst party received 59.2 percent of the vote.
Fiji, formally the Republic of Fiji, is a South Pacific Ocean island republic located in Melanesia.
It is located approximately 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 kilometers; 1,300 miles) northeast of New Zealand.
Fiji is an archipelago of over 330 islands, 110 of which are permanently inhabited, and over 500 islets, with a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometers (7,100 sq mi). Ono-i-Lau is the most remote island group.
The two biggest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, are home to approximately 87 percent of the total population of 883,483.
Approximately three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts, either in Suva, the capital city, or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi, where tourism is the main local industry, or in Lautoka, where the sugar-cane industry is dominant. Because to the terrain, the interior of Viti Levu is sparsely populated.
A stunning view of the sunset in a Fijian Beach Fiji's climate is tropical marine and warm all year, with few extremes. The warm season runs from November to April, whereas the cool season is from May to October.
Temperatures in the chilly season average 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). Rainfall is varied, with the warm season bringing more rain, particularly inland.
Rainfall is heavier on the southeast sides of the bigger islands than on the northwest sides, which has an impact on agriculture in those locations. Winds are modest, although cyclones strike roughly once every year (10–12 times per decade).
A helicopter passing by Mamanuca Islands Fiji's Mamanuca Islands are a volcanic archipelago located west of Nadi and south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a famous tourist attraction, comprises of roughly 20 islands, although during high tide, the Pacific Ocean covers about seven of them. The islands have clean waters, palm-fringed sandy beaches, and live coral reefs. Fiji gained independence in 1970 after almost a century as a British colony. Fiji now boasts one of the most developed economies in the Pacific.
Fiji is a relatively safe destination to visit. Visitors visiting Fiji may, however, become victims of petty crimes such as theft or ATM skimming. Avoid walking alone at night in metropolitan areas, especially downtown Suva, lock your car, and keep expensive belongings out of sight.
With the Great Astrolabe Reef surrounding its 333 islands and atolls, Fiji is recognized as the 'Soft Coral Capital of the World,' so an underwater experience should be high on your to-do list when visiting. If you're a good diver, you can see hundreds of different fish and coral species.
Tourism is Fiji's most important economic activity. Although political upheaval in the early years of the twenty-first century caused a significant reduction in tourist numbers, the sector recovered and tourism remains a significant part of the economy. Fiji is conveniently positioned for air travelers from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Japan, and it is a popular tourist cruise destination.