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Introduction
Facts & Information
Fiji History
Fiji Hotels
Fiji Attractions
Fiji Tours
Transportation
Picture Gallery
Resources

Fiji.

Fiji Facts & Information

 Location Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
 Climate Tropical marine, only slight seasonal temperature variation
 Terrain Mostly mountains of volcanic origin
 Population 893,354
 Nationality Fijian
 Ethnic groups Fijian 51%, Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%
 Religions Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%
 Languages English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
 Government Type Republic
 Capital Suva (Viti Levu)
 Currency Fijian dollar (FJD)
 Description of 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
 Fiji Flag Flag of Fiji

More Information
 www.cia.gov

 

Fiji Culture

Fiji’s is a land known for its contrasting cultures that live side by side to one another. The land is home too Indo-Fijians, Pacific islanders, Chinese, and European people. The native Fijians are descended from a Melanesian people who came from the west and began settling here around 500 B.C. Most Fijians still live in small villages along the coast, and you will see many traditional thatch bures, or houses, scattered in the countryside away from the main

roads. Members of each tribe cultivate and grow food crops in small "bush gardens" on plots of communally owned native land assigned to their families. More than 80% of the land in Fiji is owned by Fijians. When meeting and talking to the Fijian people, it's difficult to imagine that hardly more than a century ago their ancestors were among the world's most ferocious cannibals. Today the only vestiges of this past are the four-pronged wooden cannibal forks sold in handcraft shops. This is an interesting gift to bring back home, it can start a great dinner conversation!

Language
Fiji has three official languages. Fijians speak Fijian, the Indians speak Hindi, and they speak English to each other. Schoolchildren are taught in their native language until they are capable to be taught in English. So don’t worry when traveling to Fiji, you will have little trouble of getting around the country, because people do understand and speak English. Fijian is similar to the Polynesian languages spoken in Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tonga in that it uses vowel sounds similar to those in Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish. Fijians still speak a variety of dialects in their villages, but the official form of Fijian, and the version taught in the schools systems is based on the language of Bau, the small island that came to dominate western Fiji during the 19th century.

More Information:
 www.state.gov

 

Fiji Shopping

Shop till you drop in Fiji. There are many choices of exotic and beautiful things to bring back home with you from Fiji. Fijians produce a wide variety of handcrafts, such as carved tanoa (kava) bowls, war clubs, and cannibal forks; woven baskets and mats; pottery (which has seen a renaissance of late); and masi (tapa) cloth. The larger shops sell some very fine face masks and nguzunguzus (noozoo-noozoos), the inlaid canoe prows carved in the Solomon

Islands, and some primitive art from Papua New Guinea. Bargaining is still acceptable, however, when dealing with Indo-Fijian merchants in many small shops Haggling is not considered to be polite. Some stores have fixed prices to avoid the hassles of bargaining. Beware of Sword Sellers, these are Fijian men who carry bags under their arms and approach you on the street. They ask you your name and where you are from, and then quickly inscribe your name on a sloppily carved wooden sword carried in the bag. They expect you to buy the sword, whether you want it or not. They are especially numerous in Suva, but they will likely come up to you in Nadi, too. The easiest way to avoid this scam is not tell any stranger your name and walk away as soon as you see the bag.

 

Fiji Restaurants

We’ve provided listings for some of the top restaurants in Fiji including Suva, Nadi, Savusavu and more. You’ll find lavish gourmet restaurants, affordable restaurants serving up good food, and everything in between. Sample traditional Fiji cuisine or other specialty cuisines that are sure to make your taste buds happy.

Read reviews entered by other patrons and be sure to return to our site to submit your own restaurant review.

  Choose a Fiji Restaurant Location  
  Lautoka Nadi Savusavu  
  Suva Taveuni Island    

 


Fiji Travel Guides
 Frommer's Fiji
 Lonely Planet Fiji
 Let's Go Fiji
 Fodors Fiji