- about the Island of your Dreams:
The Fiji Islands
Fiji consists of 322 islands, of which 106 are inhabited, and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,300 metres (4,250 ft), and covered with tropical forests. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. Other important towns include Nadi (the location of the international airport), and Lautoka (the location of a large sugar mill and a sea-port). The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 500 kilometres (310 mi) north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.
Whatever your interest may be, there is something on the Fiji Islands for everybody. Many visitors take the time to experience local markets and villages while others merely like to lie on the beach and read a book. Most sporting activities are geared for daylight hours, but the larger cities have evening movies and some have independent restaurants and nightclubs. Dances and festivals may be held on weekends, holidays or other special occasions.
The Fiji Islands are unparalleled in their range of water and outdoors activities and for the water lover, the Fiji Islands are sheer heaven. Scuba diving and snorkeling are available year round to allow people to explore the safe but exotic marine life. Wind and body surfing, sailing of all types, kayaking and water skiing are just a few of the many other activities for visitors to enjoy the warm tropical waters.
For those less inclined to have fun on the water, land lovers may prefer to explore the rainforest, caves or archeological sites. In addition, back-packing, biking, golf, tennis, horse back riding and bird watching are some of the many other activities that are readily available.
Music & Dance
An indigenous art form is the Meke, which may incorporate the seasea (women's fan dance) or a make wesi (men's spear dance). It is usually a narrative of an important event such as a war, a chiefly installation, or even a scandal. Some mekes are generations old, and form an important part of Fiji's oral history. In olden times, the meke was considered to be an oracle from the gods, and the Dau ni vucu, or composer, would often go into a trance before a performance. Others are modern, composed for a particular event, much as a poet laureate might write a poem to celebrate an event in a Western country.
Each district of Fiji has its own form of meke, performed in the local dialect.
Sport
The national sport of Fiji is considered to be Rugby union. The national team is quite successful, and has competed at four Rugby World Cups, the first being in 1987, which has also thus so far been their best result when they reached the quarter finals. Fiji also competes in the Pacific Tri-Nations and the Pacific Nations Cup. The sport is governed by the Fiji Rugby Union which is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, and contributes to the Pacific Islanders rugby union team. At the club level there are the Colonial Cup and Pacific Rugby Cup. The Fiji sevens team is the most successful rugby 7s team in the world.
* Vijay Singh, one of the best golfers in the world, is from Fiji. He was born in Lautoka.
* Waisale Serevi, a world-renowned sevens rugby player, is from Fiji. Commentators refer to him as the Magician, or Maestro.
* Lote Tuqiri, dual code international for Australian Rugby Union Wallabies and Fiji Rugby League Bati is from Fiji.
Fiji Islands
- Ethnic groups
The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, a people of mixed Polynesian (partly Tongan) and Melanesian ancestry (54.3%), and Indo-Fijians (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British in the nineteenth century. The percentage of the population of Indian descent has declined significantly over the last two decades because of exclusionary policies against them and related emigration.
About 1.2% are Rotuman — natives of Rotuma Island, whose culture has more in common with countries such as Tonga or Samoa than with the rest of Fiji. There are also small, but economically significant, groups of Europeans, Chinese and other minorities.
Relationships between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians have often been strained, and the tension between the two communities has dominated politics in the islands for the past generation. The level of tension varies between different regions of the country.
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Weather Information for the Fiji Islands BBC - Weather Centre - Forecast for Suva, Fiji by the BBC Weather Centre in association with the Met Office Saturday: light showers, Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 24°C (75°F) Posted on 3 Jul 2009 at 10:00pm Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 24°C (75°F), Wind Direction: ENE, Wind Speed: 11mph, Visibility: very good, Pressure: 1012mb, Humidity: 86%, Sunrise: 06:37FJT, Sunset: 17:41FJT Sunday: sunny intervals, Max Temp: 26°C (79°F), Min Temp: 25°C (77°F) Posted on 3 Jul 2009 at 10:00pm Max Temp: 26°C (79°F), Min Temp: 25°C (77°F), Wind Direction: E, Wind Speed: 13mph, Visibility: very good, Pressure: 1013mb, Humidity: 90%, Sunrise: 06:37FJT, Sunset: 17:42FJT Monday: heavy showers, Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 25°C (77°F) Posted on 3 Jul 2009 at 10:00pm Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 25°C (77°F), Wind Direction: ESE, Wind Speed: 14mph, Visibility: good, Pressure: 1014mb, Humidity: 90%, Sunrise: 06:37FJT, Sunset: 17:42FJT Thank you for visiting Fiji.IslandOfMyDreams.com, - have a nice day and call back soon! |
