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FIJI ISLANDS
Map of FIJI ISLANDS
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Location:
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Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 00 S, 175 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 18,270 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,129 km |
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Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added |
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Climate:
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tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains of volcanic origin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65%
other: 84.4% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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28.6 cu km (1987) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.07 cu km/yr (14%/14%/71%)
per capita: 82 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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cyclonic storms can occur from November to January |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Population:
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931,741 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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) |
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Religions:
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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) |
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Languages:
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English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.9% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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 |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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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) |
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Administrative divisions:
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4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western |
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Independence:
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10 October 1970 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)
Source: http://cia.gov
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