Fiji Culture, Map, Flag, Tourist Places

Fiji has been a republic since 1987. The head of state is the president. The 1990 constitution provided for a bicameral legislature in which native Fijians were guaranteed more than half the seats. The judicial branch is headed by a supreme court.

Fiji, officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited; in addition, there are some 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for some 87% of the total population. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is in turn derived from the Fijian name.

Fiji is a place that lends itself to lots of activities or none at all - read or soak up the sun by the pool, have a

massage, sip a cocktail watching the sunset or indulge in the fun and games. Your choice, in your own time - from golf, tennis, game fishing and spectacular scuba diving to beach volleyball, snorkelling, windsurfing or sailing.

Fiji is the best place for an unforgettable wedding and honeymoon.

March through to November are the best months being . Maximum temperatures rarely move out of the 31°C to 26°C range all year round. As you can see, winter is a term, not a season. A cooling trade wind blows from the east south-east for most of the year. It usually drops to a whisper in the evening and picks up again by mid-morning.

Rainfall is highly variable and strongly influenced by topography, with the prevailing south-east trade winds bringing moisture onshore and causing heavy showers in the mountain regions. The wet season is from November to April and results from the southerly movements of the South Pacific Convergence Zone. The wet season is characterised by heavy, brief local showers and contributes most of Fiji's annual rainfall. Annual rainfall on the main islands is between 2000mm and 3000mm on the coast and low lying areas, and up to 6000mm in the mountains. The smaller islands receive various amounts according to their location and size, ranging from 1500mm to 3500mm.

Cyclones are mostly confined to the period November to April, with greatest frequency in January and February. On average, some ten to fifteen cyclones per decade affect some part of Fiji, and two to four do severe damage. The dominant north-west to south-east tracks gives some increased risk of damage in the outlying north-west island groups.

English is the official language, although Fijian and Hindustani (an Indian language) are widely spoken. The Hindustani spoken in Fiji is called Fiji Bat or “Fiji Talk”, and differs slightly from that spoken in India. Fijian can be written in two different ways, one of which is more phonetic than the other. For instance, the letter “b” is pronounced with an “m” sound before it, as in the case of the town Ba, which can be written Ba or Mba. Also, a “q” is usually pronounced “ngg”, as in yaqona. English spoken among the people often includes words and phrases from Fijian, Hindustani, and other languages.

Native Fijians are mostly Christian, belonging to various churches, but Methodists and Roman Catholics predominate. Indians are mostly Hindu or Muslim; some are Sikh and others are Christian. The Chinese are either Christian or Buddhist. People often celebrate festivals of religions other than their own. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and religion plays an important role in the lives of all the people.

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