Fiji

Fiji is a Melanesian island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is at around 2,000 km(1,300 miles) northeast of New Zealand's North Island. The closest countries of Fiji are Vanuatu, New Caledonia, New Zealand's Kermadec Islands, Tonga, the Samoas and France's Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu.



People: Fiji’s permanent population was around 837,000 according to the official census in 2007 with 27.9 median age and 72.1 years life span. The population density is relatively low as 45.8 inhabitants/km. Fiji’s population increased slowly every year since 1930s at the rate of 1.1%. The gender ratio was 1.03 males to 1 female.

Climate: Fiji has tropical marine climate type and is warm all year round. November to April are the warm time in Fiji and May to October are the cooler months with an average of 22 °C (72 °F) temperature. Heavier Rainfall often occurs in warm seasons in inland areas. Influenced by the agriculture on larger islands, there is more rainfalls on the southeast part than the northwest part. Winds are moderate, though cyclones occur about once a year (10–12 times per decade).

Language: Fijian,along with English and Fiji Hindi, are the official languages spoken in Fiji. More than 350,000 of people in Fiji speak Fijian as the first-language speakers while around 200,000 Fiji people use it as a second language.

Economy: Fiji is a country full of natural resources including hydropower, forest, mineral, gold, copper, offshore oil, and fish resources. Credit unions were introduced to the islands in the 1950s by Marion M. Ganey, S.J.. The economy in Fiji grew rapidly from 1960s to 1970s but slowed done in 1980s. The tourism industry expanded largely in the recent years and has become significant parts in contributing to the GDP growth. Sugar exports is also an important source of foreign exchange for Fiji while Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity.

Time: FJT (UTC+12)

Capital: Fijian dollar (FJD)

How to get there: The main international airport in Fiji is Nadi International Airport (NAN). There are direct flights flying from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Honolulu International Airport (HNL) in the USA, and from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), as well as many other locations carried by Fiji Airways. Some other flight carriers also offer the direct flight services to Nadi, for example, Korean Air, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.