Fiji

Fiji is an island country in Melanesia that is part of Oceania in the South Pacific. It is located approximately 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 miles) northeast of New Zealand. Fiji is made up of an archipelago of more than 330 islands, of which about 110 are permanently inhabited. It also has more than 500 islets with a total area of ​​approximately 18,300 square kilometers (7,100 square miles). The farthest island group is Ono-i-Lau. Approximately 87% of the total population of 883,483 live on two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on the coast of Viti Levu. Or small urban areas such as Nandy, where tourism is the main local industry. Or in Lautoka, where the sugar cane industry dominates. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely populated due to its terrain.

Most of Fiji's islands were formed by volcanic activity that began about 150 million years ago. Geothermal activity is still active today on Vanua Levu and Taveuni. The geothermal system on Viti Levu is non-volcanic in origin and has a cold surface discharge (about 35-60 degrees Celsius).

Humans have lived in Fiji since the 2nd millennium BC, first Austronesians and later Melanesians, and are influenced by Polynesia. Europeans first visited Fiji in the 17th century. In 1874, after a short period of time when Fiji was an independent kingdom, the British founded the Fijian colony. Fiji acted as a crown colony until 1970, gaining independence and becoming known as Fiji's Dominion. In 1987, following a series of coups, the junta in power declared it a republic. In the 2006 coup, Admiral Frank Bainimarama seized power. In 2009, the Fiji High Court ruled that military leadership was illegal. At that time, President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, who had been held by the military as the nominal head of state, officially abolished the 1997 constitution and reappointed Bainimarama as interim prime minister. In late 2009, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau succeeded Iloilo as president. On September 17, 2014, a democratic election was held after many years of delay. Bainimarama's Fiji First Party won 59.2% of the votes, and international observers considered the election credible.

Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific Ocean through its abundant forest, mineral and fish resources. The currency is the Fiji dollar, and the main sources of foreign exchange are the tourism industry, remittances from Fijians working abroad, bottled water exports, and sugar cane. Local Government The Ministry of Urban Development oversees Fiji's local government in the form of city and town councils.