Local time--:--:--Suva ·

Oceania / Melanesia · Card 007

Fiji

Fiji is a country in Melanesia. Its capital is Suva.

Find Fiji

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Suva
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
Currency: Fijian dollar (FJD)
Population: 933,1542025 · World Bank
Area: 18,272 km²7,054.86 square miles
Independence: 1970from the UK

Fiji in context

Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Suva; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Fiji is an archipelago with large mountainous islands and many smaller islands and reefs. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu contain substantial interiors of ridges, valleys and river systems. Smaller islands vary from rugged volcanic land to low coral settings.

On the larger islands, wet mountain slopes contrast with drier leeward areas. Coastal plains and river valleys provide more accessible land for settlement and farming. Reefs and lagoons create another extensive environment beyond the shore.

Climate & seasons

Fiji has a warm maritime climate with modest seasonal temperature changes. Rainfall varies between exposed windward slopes and more sheltered parts of the islands.

Rainfall & reefs

Trade winds and terrain produce clear differences in rainfall across individual islands. Forests protect upland catchments, while mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs support coastal habitats. Heavy rain and cyclones can affect both river systems and shorelines.

Flag

Light blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield shows a yellow lion holding a coconut above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

English, iTaukei or Fijian, and Hindi have recognized roles in Fiji’s constitutional language framework. English is widely used for communication across communities.

Community and regional languages

Fiji Hindi is common in Indo-Fijian everyday life and differs from formal standard Hindi. Fijian also has regional varieties, while Rotuman is a separate language associated with Rotuma.

Sources: Fiji Government · Constitution · CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & independence

Fiji’s history includes Indigenous chiefly states and, after British annexation in 1874, the arrival of indentured workers from India. It became independent through a negotiated transition in 1970. Coups in 1987 ended the monarchy and established a republic. Further coups disrupted civilian government, with elections resuming in 2014 after the 2006 military takeover.

1874
Fiji becomes a British colony
1970
Fiji becomes independent
1987
Coups are followed by the establishment of a republic
2014
National elections resume after military rule

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Tourism is a major source of foreign earnings and supports transport, accommodation and food services. Sugar production, agriculture, fisheries, bottled water and manufacturing also contribute. Cyclones, changes in visitor demand and imported fuel costs can strongly affect the economy.

Industry and production

Sugar milling, food and beverage production, garments, timber products, fisheries and tourism services.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Thousands of people

933.22025 · thousands of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Thousands of people
1970	531,188	531.188
1980	641,975	641.975
1990	773,316	773.316
2000	840,909	840.909
2010	910,419	910.419
2020	914,963	914.963
2025	933,154	933.154

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

5.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	2,640,835,882	2.641
1991	2,569,533,224	2.570
1992	2,726,274,791	2.726
1993	2,784,345,343	2.784
1994	2,926,346,907	2.926
1995	2,999,505,551	3.000
1996	3,143,481,853	3.143
1997	3,074,325,265	3.074
1998	3,114,291,482	3.114
1999	3,388,349,096	3.388
2000	3,330,747,237	3.331
2001	3,397,362,191	3.397
2002	3,506,077,734	3.506
2003	3,541,138,476	3.541
2004	3,728,818,846	3.729
2005	3,754,920,563	3.755
2006	3,824,479,849	3.824
2007	3,791,946,783	3.792
2008	3,831,109,770	3.831
2009	3,778,009,151	3.778
2010	3,889,636,956	3.890
2011	3,994,857,171	3.995
2012	4,051,237,156	4.051
2013	4,243,031,650	4.243
2014	4,480,790,522	4.481
2015	4,682,479,894	4.682
2016	4,796,997,058	4.797
2017	5,053,797,789	5.054
2018	5,246,466,296	5.246
2019	5,215,934,664	5.216
2020	4,319,652,692	4.320
2021	4,131,922,228	4.132
2022	4,865,137,074	4.865
2023	5,324,525,626	5.325
2024	5,512,527,116	5.513
2025	5,688,678,191	5.689

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.731High human developmentRank 111 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.629

20000.668

20100.697

20200.718

20230.731

67.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth

10.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A parliamentary republic. A President is head of state, a Prime Minister leads the government, and the elected Parliament has one chamber.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Fiji.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which activity is a major source of Fiji’s foreign earnings?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.