The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

resources:

      timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

      Land use:

      arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      30 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      28.6 cu km (1987)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 0.07 cu km/yr (14%/14%/71%) per capita: 82 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

      Environment - current issues:

      deforestation; soil erosion

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

      includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

      People

       Fiji

      Population:

      931,741 (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 30.6% (male 145,430/female 139,498) 15–64 years: 64.8% (male 302,460/female 301,344) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 19,413/female 23,596) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 25.2 years male: 24.7 years female: 25.7 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      1.388% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      22.15 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      5.66 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      −2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 70.44 years male: 67.9 years female: 73.1 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.68 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.1% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      600 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

      noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian

      Ethnic groups:

      Fijian 57.3% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture),

       Indian 37.6%, Rotuman 1.2%, other 3.9% (European, other Pacific

       Islanders, Chinese) (2007 census)

      Religions:

      Christian 53% (Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assembly of God 3.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.6%, other 4.9%), Hindu 34% (Sanatan 25%, Arya Samaj 1.2%, other 7.8%), Muslim 7% (Sunni 4.2%. other 2.8%), other or unspecified 5.6%, none 0.3% (1996 census)

      Languages:

      English (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:

      6.5% of GDP (2004)

      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)

      Administrative divisions:

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

      Independence:

      10 October 1970 (from UK)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

      Constitution:

      enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

      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 Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000); note - ILOILOVATU was reaffirmed as president by the Great Council of Chiefs in a statement issued on 22 December, and reappointed by the coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA in January 2007 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; the president 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 is responsible to Parliament; note - coup leader Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA has appointed an interim cabinet elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA

      Legislative branch:

      bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 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 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 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