48 Facts About Fiji

Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is a South Pacific island country.

Fiji is a South Pacific country comprised of more than 300 islands and 500 islets.

It is famous for its rugged terrain, palm-lined beaches, and coral reefs with clear lagoons.

The majority of the population lives on the two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Suva, the capital of Viti Levu, is a port city with British colonial architecture.

Ethnographic exhibits are available at the Fiji Museum, which is located in the Victorian-era Thurston Gardens.

It covers an area of 18,274 square kilometres.

Suva is the country's capital and largest city.

Fiji's official languages are English, Fijian, and Hindi.

The Fijian dollar is the country's official currency.

Sugar exports and a thriving tourist industry, along with an abundance of minerals, fish, and forests, make Fiji one of the most developed economies in the Pacific.

The first word you'll need to learn in Fijian is Bula, which means "hello," because you'll hear it everywhere. These welcoming people will also greet you in English, which almost everyone speaks.

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, the sandy Natadola Beach, and the Lavana Coastal walk from the beach to the waterfall. There are also a number of zip line options available.

Hire a boat and spend the day on the water diving and snorkelling in the Great Astrolabe Reef coral reefs.

Take the kids to the Big Bula Water Park or hike to one of the islands' waterfalls or caves.

Visit the Kula Eco Park, where you can feed baby sea turtles and hold iguanas and snakes. The Fiji Islands have no venomous snakes.

Accommodations range from luxury beachfront hotels to backpacker hostels that cost $8 to $15 per night.

Fire walking originated on the islands around 500 years ago, but it is now mostly practised as a cultural show for tourists.

In Nadi, visit the Garden of the Sleeping Giant to see the orchids or the Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool.

Fijian girls learn to make pottery and weave baskets and mats, while boys learn to carve kava bowls, war clubs, spears, and the ever-popular wooden forks sold to tourists as relics of cannibalism in Fiji.

The first settlers in Fiji, who arrived over 5000 years ago, are now known as the Lapita people, but they were originally Melanesians and Polynesians.

The first settlements in Fiji were established by voyaging traders, and the first Europeans to land and live among the natives were shipwrecked sailors.

Fijians were fearsome warriors who built some of the best boats in the Pacific at the time. They called their home Viti, but Tonga called it Fisi. Captain James Cook was the first to pronounce it Fiji, and his writings helped to popularise the name.

Fijians were also ferocious cannibals known for eating their enemies and making human sacrifices.

Cannibalism began to decline with the arrival of Christian missionaries. The most recent known victim was a missionary. Thomas Baker made the mistake of accidentally touching the village chief's head, which amounted to a declaration of war.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and British began to explore the islands. The British established Fiji as a colony in 1874 and began large-scale sugar cane cultivation there in the 1880s.

Contract labour from India was brought in to work in the sugar plantations to avoid interfering with the Fijians' native way of life. Before the practise was discontinued in 1920, over 60,000 indented workers arrived. These Indian transplants would later cause problems in the islands' government.

Fiji gained independence in 1970 after 96 years of British rule, but remained a member of the British Commonwealth.

To prevent an Indian-dominated party from controlling the government, a military dictatorship took over the country in 1987. This prompted a larger exodus of Indian-origin Fijians from the country. The Indian population now accounts for 40% of the total.

Fiji was ruled by one military coup after another until a democratic election was held in September of 2014.

Over 80 percent of Fiji's land is owned by village groups, who use it for their village and as a nature reserve.

Villages are typically self-sufficient. They are led by a chief, and each has a community centre. Tourists may visit them but must bring a gift of kava with them and present it to the chief for the welcoming ceremony, known as the "sevu sevu".

The only person permitted to wear a hat and sunglasses is the village chief.

On New Year's Eve, the village women play a game called "veicaqemoli" (kick the orange). The game is played by two teams, and the winning team must give new clothes to the members of the losing team, so there is more incentive to lose than to win.

The Meke is a cultural celebration that includes traditional storytelling and dancing to songs performed at Fijian festivals. It is even more frequently seen during cultural shows at tourist destinations.

Rugby is a national pastime. Before each match, the national rugby team would perform the Cibi (pronounced "thimbi"). The Cibi is a war dance, as the name suggests. Their "mBolay!" war cry has now taken its place.

The indigenous Fijians are predominantly Christian, while the Indo-Fijians are predominantly Hindu. The Sri Siva Subramanuya Temple is the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Nadi is home to this vibrant place of worship.

Fijians have a gift-giving tradition. A large amount of food is brought to a community ceremony. This food is also accompanied by gifts such as bark cloth, whale teeth, and kava (the national drink.) Village marriages and religious festivals are examples of ceremonies.

Extended families are common in village households, including a nuclear family with in-laws and possibly other grown unmarried children. The elderly living alone and uncared for are frowned upon in our culture.

Fijian meals typically include relishes, starches, and a beverage. Yams, taro, sweet potatoes, and manioc are among the starches. Meat, fish, seafood, and leafy vegetables are among the relishes. Water is the most popular beverage, but hot tea with lemon leaves is also available.

Fiji's traditional cooking method is known as lovo. Food is roasted in an earthen pit lined with extremely hot stones wrapped in palm fronds and banana leaves. Pork, chicken, or fish is placed on the bottom first. Cassava, wild yams, and taro are used to cover the meat before the pit is filled with dirt and left to cook for three hours.

Many islanders raise their brows to say "yes" nonverbally.

Fiji has a relatively large armed force and has participated in a number of major United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world.

Professional golfer Vijay Singh is one of Fiji's international sports stars. He has three major championships to his name.

Sperm whale teeth, presented with a long and formal speech, are the most precious gift to give on ceremonial occasions.

According to Fijian folklore, coconuts have eyes. They keep an eye out for specific people who they want to fall from the tree. So, if a coconut falls on you, you can expect bad luck for several days because it specifically chose you to fall on!

The national and traditional drink is kava, also known as Yaqona. Tanoa is a bowl made from the powdered root of the Yoqona bush that is mixed with water. Before and after drinking from the dish, guests must clap.

Kava has medicinal properties and is used to treat headaches, colds, insomnia, and anxiety. It tastes like bitter, tongue-numbing unsweetened coffee. Visitors to villages are expected to present the chief with kava gifts upon their arrival.