d area: 18,270 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,129 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
rectilinear shelf claim added
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature
variation

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil
potential

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 5%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 65%
other: 19%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion
natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Whaling

Geographic note: includes 332 islands of which approximately 110
are inhabited

People
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Population: 782,381 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 141,652; female 135,829)
15-64 years: 62% (male 240,621; female 240,620)
65 years and over: 3% (male 11,235; female 12,424) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.28% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 23.37 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.9 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.71 years
male: 63.39 years
female: 68.14 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian

Ethnic divisions: Fijian 49%, Indian 46%, European, other Pacific
Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%

Religions: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu
38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%
note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu