332 islands of which approximately 110
are inhabited

Fiji People

Population: 844,330 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.92% (male 141,724; female 136,216)

15-64 years: 63.52% (male 268,411; female 267,871)

65 years and over: 3.56% (male 14,007; female 16,101) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.41% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 23.33 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.25 years

male: 65.83 years

female: 70.78 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.86 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Fijian(s)

adjective: Fijian

Ethnic groups: Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a
Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific
Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)

Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu
38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%

note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is
a Muslim minority (1986)

Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindustani

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.6%

male: 93.8%

female: 89.3% (1995 est.)

Fiji Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands

conventional short form: Fiji

Government type: republic

note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally
declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987

Capital: Suva

Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central,
Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western

Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)

Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new
constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25
July 1990; amended 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater
say in government and to make multiparty gove