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Ethnic Fijians
Fijian man wearing traditional dress circa 1890
Total population

c. 500,000
Regions with significant populations
Fiji, Australia
Languages
Fijian Bau, English, Fijian Hindi
Religions
Methodist 66. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Fiji Hindi, also known as Fijian Hindi or Fiji Hindustani, is a language which is spoken in Fiji by most Fijian citizens of Indian descent The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji, with 36 6%; Roman Catholic 13. The Roman Catholic Church in Fiji is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome 3%; Assemblies of God 6. The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations 2%; Seventh-day Adventist 5. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance 1%; other 8. 8%.
Related ethnic groups
Native Hawaiians, Maori, Samoans, other Melanesian peoples, Polynesian peoples, other Austronesian peoples

Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Polynesia. "Kanaka" redirects here For the Tamil actress see Kanaka (actress. This article discusses the Māori people of New Zealand For their language see Māori language, and for other meanings see Māori (disambiguation. Samoans are a Polynesian ethnic group living in the Samoan Islands. Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) means "islands of the black-skinned people" Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over The Austronesian people or Austronesian-speaking people, are a population group present in Oceania and Southeast Asia who speak or had ancestors who spoke Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over The Fijian people arrived in Fiji approximately 3,500 years ago. Later they would move onward to other surrounding islands including Rotuma, Tonga and Samoa. Rotuma is a Fijian Dependency, consisting of the island of Rotuma and the nearby islets of Hatana, Hạf Liua, Solkope, Solnohu The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa, is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands Archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean Later the Fijians would move onward to Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and Aotearoa (New Zealand). The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island They are indigenous to all parts of Fiji except the island of Rotuma. Rotuma is a Fijian Dependency, consisting of the island of Rotuma and the nearby islets of Hatana, Hạf Liua, Solkope, Solnohu The original settlers are now called "Lapita people" after a distinctive pottery produced locally. For the Fly Genus, see Lapita (fly. Lapita is the common name Lapita pottery was found in the area from 800 BCE onward.

As of 2005, Fijians constituted slightly more than half of the Fijian population. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Indigenous Fijians, the native inhabitants of Fiji, are a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian resulting from the original migrations to the South Pacific many centuries Indigenous Fijians are predominantly of Melanesian extraction, with some Polynesian admixture. Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) means "islands of the black-skinned people" Polynesian culture refers to the aboriginal Culture of the Polynesian -speaking peoples of Polynesia and the Other ethnic groups in Fiji include Fiji Indians, the Rotuman people, and minority communities, which include Caucasians, Chinese, and others. Indo-Fijians are Fijians who trace their ancestry to India. They number 311591 (37 Rotuma is a small island group forming part of the Republic of Fiji "General Electors" is the term used in Fiji to identify citizens of voting age who belong in most cases to ethnic minorities

New Zealand has a large Fijian population, according to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. In 2001, Fijian people were the fifth largest Pacific ethnic group living in New Zealand. There was a decrease of 8 percent between 1996 and 2001. The estimated population size is 231,800 in 2001. Approximately 47 percent of the Fijian population reside in New Zealand. [1]

The Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) once passed laws and regulations governing the Fijian people. Today, the Great Council of Chiefs meets yearly to discuss Fijian concerns. The council is responsible for appointing the Fijian president. The council is made up of 55 chiefs selected from the 14 provinces. Included in the council are three appointees from the island of Rotuma and six appointed by the Minister of Fijian Affairs. The Minister of Fijian Affairs consults with the Fijian president as part of the selection process. Finally, former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka serves a lifetime appointment on the council. [2]

The (2008) President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands is H. E. Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda. The Prime Minister is Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. There are 12 ministers appointed to serve in the Fijian government. [3]

Contents

National symbols

The Fijian flag for the first time on Independence Day on October 10, 1970. Fiji became an independent Commonwealth Country on that date. The flag is light blue with the Fijian coat of arms in the center. The Union Jack is shown in the upper left corner. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [4]

The Tabua is a much revered. A tabua is a polished Tooth of a Sperm whale that is an important cultural item in Fijian society It is a whale's tooth which is used in both public and private occasions. The tooth is considered sacred. [5]

"Meda Dau Doka" is the national anthem of Fiji. Meda Dau Doka or God Bless Fiji is the National anthem of Fiji. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's

The Fiji Times[6] is an online newspaper heralding Fijian news. Another online newspaper is the Fiji Daily Post[7]


The Fijian language belongs to the Melanesian branch of the Austronesian family. Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji.

About 83 percent of Fijian land is owned by Fijian people. In 1876, Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, the British colonial Governor, prohibited the sale of Fijian land to non-ethnic Fijians. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Arthur Charles Hamilton-Gordon 1st Baron Stanmore GCMG KJStJ ( 26 November 1829 &ndash 30 January 1912) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970 and an independent Dominion in the British Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987 This policy has been continued, hardly modified, to this day. The Governor also banned the exploitation of Fijians as laborers, and in 1878 imported indentured laborers from India to work in the sugarcane fields. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The effects of this immigration created an ethnic polarization which has proved culturally and politically challenging to modern Fiji.

Indigenous Fijians are overwhelmingly Christian, with the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma claiming the loyalty of 66. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji, with 36 6% (1996 census). Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Other significant denominations include the Roman Catholic Church (13. The Roman Catholic Church in Fiji is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome 3%), the Assemblies of God (6. The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations 2%) and the Seventh-day Adventists (5. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance 1%). About 8% belong to other churches from a large number of denominations. About 0. 8% follow non-Christian religions or no religion.

Approximately 70% of Fijians are farmers, some of which are sustenance farmers. Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family and to pay taxes or feudal dues They commonly grow sugar cane, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae The cassava, yuca, manioc, or mandioca ( Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family native Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) is a Dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation.

Guard outside the presidential palace in Suva, 2003
Guard outside the presidential palace in Suva, 2003

Fijians have been known as expert canoe-builders, using them to trade with Tonga. Suva is the Capital and largest city of Fiji. It is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Central A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles They were usually double canoes, similar except one was shorter and served as a type of outrigger. An outrigger is a part of a boat's Rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or Gunwale of a boat They are united by beams, with a platform on it that extended beyond the sides.

History

The History of Fiji offers a time line of events. The timeline below shows a thumbnail sketch of Fijian history from ancient times to the present day A timeline is a graphical representation of a Chronological sequence of events also referred to as a Chronology.

His Royal Highness Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, sent the Instruments of Independence to Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Kabakoro] GCMG KBE CF, ( May 6, 1920 &ndash April 18, 2004 They were received on October 10, 1970. In 1972, the first general elections were held using the 1970 constitution. In 1987, two coups were staged. The first coup was a bloodless military coup. The second coup severed ties with the British Monarchy. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy In 1990, a new constitution was adopted and in 1992 the first general election using the new constitution was held. [8]

Fijian family and customs

The Fijian traditions and ceremonies are historically based and share commonalities throughout the provinces. Fijian Tradition and ceremony is a living way of life that has remained intact for millennia evolving as the Fijian nation has modernised over time with various external

References

  1. ^ Fijian People in New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. Retrieved on 2008-03-19. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China.
  2. ^ Official Fiji government site
  3. ^ Official Fiji government site
  4. ^ Official Fiji government site
  5. ^ Official Fiji government site
  6. ^ Fiji Times site
  7. ^ Fiji Daily Post site
  8. ^ History of Fiji

External links

near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all
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