The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

(official), Fijian (official), Hindustani

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write

      total population: 93.7%

      male: 95.5%

      female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 13 years

      male: 13 years

      female: 13 years (2005)

      Education expenditures:

      6.2% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 33

      Government ::Fiji

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands

      conventional short form: Fiji

      local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti

      local short form: Fiji/Viti

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: Suva (on Viti Levu)

      geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E

      time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      daylight saving time: +1hr, begins fourth Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March

      Administrative divisions:

      4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western

      Independence:

      10 October 1970 (from the UK)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

      Constitution:

      enacted on 25 July 1997; effective on 28 July 1998; note - it encourages multiculturalism and makes multiparty government mandatory

      Legal system:

      based on British system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      21 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU (since 30 July 2009)

      head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000); note - although QARASE is still the legal prime minister, he has been confined to his home island; former President ILOILOVATU appointed Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA interim prime minister under the military regime

      cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament; note - coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: under the constitution, president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); in 2007 the Great Council of Chiefs was suspended from its role in electing the president; prime minister appointed by the president

      election results: Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU was appointed by Chief Justice Anthony GATES

      Legislative branch:

      bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 members appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 1 appointed on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 members reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)

      elections: House of Representatives - last held on 6–13 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

      election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - SDL 44.6%, FLP 39.2%, UPP 0.8%, independents 4.9%, other 10.5%; seats by party - SDL 36, FLP 31, UPP 2, independents 2

      Judicial branch:

      Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of

       Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

      Political parties and leaders:

      Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic

       Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat

       Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or

       FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT [Sitiveni RABUKA] (primarily

       Fijian), and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]); Fiji Labor

       Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP

       (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP;

       Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR;

       National Federation Party or NFP [Pramond RAE] (primarily Indian);

       Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of

       National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the Truth or

       POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL

       [Laisenia QARASE]; United Peoples Party or UPP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

      Group Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH] (for restoration of a democratic government); Viti Landowners Association

      International organization participation:

      ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C (suspended), CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,

       ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO,

       ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD,

       UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,

       WTO

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

      chief of mission: Ambassador Winston THOMPSON

      chancery: 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036

      telephone: [1] (202) 466–8320

      FAX: [1] (202) 466–8325

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

      chief of mission: Ambassador C. Steven MCGANN

      embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva

      mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva

      telephone: [679] 331–4466

      FAX: [679] 330–0081

      Flag description:

      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 above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove

      National anthem:

      name: "God Bless Fiji"

      lyrics/music: Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT)

      note: