A PARADISE ... AWAITS ~ > FIJI ... :) FIJI ... officially the Republic of Fiji ... is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealands North Island. Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealands Kermadec Islands to the southeast, Tonga to the east, the Samoas and Frances Wallis and Futuna to the northeast, and Tuvalu to the north. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of circa 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The farthest island is Onu-i-Lau. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 860,000. The capital and largest city, SUVA, is on Viti Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levus coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centres like Nadi (tourism) or Lautoka (sugar cane industry). Viti Levus interior is sparsely inhabited due to its terrain. The majority of Fijis islands were formed through volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Today, some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium BC. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored Fiji, which was a Crown Colony until 1970, this administration lasting almost a century. During World War II, thousands of Fijians volunteered to aid in Allied efforts via their attachment to the New Zealand and Australian army units. The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) consist of land and naval units. Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific island realm due to an abundance of forest, mineral, and fish resources. Today, the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports. The countrys currency is the Fijian dollar. Following a coup in 2006, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau became Fijis president after a high court ruled that the military leadership was unlawfully appointed. Fijis local government, in the form of city and town councils, is supervised by the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development. TOURISM ... Fiji has a significant amount of tourism with the popular regions being Nadi, the Coral Coast, Denarau Island, and Mamanuca Islands. The biggest sources of international visitors by country are Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Fiji has a significant number of soft coral reefs, and scuba diving is a common tourist activity. Fijis attraction is primarily its white sandy beaches and postcard perfect islands with all-year-round tropical weather. In general Fiji is a mid-range priced holiday/vacation destination with most of the accommodations in this range. It also has a variety of world class 5-star resorts and hotels. More budget resorts are being opened in remote areas, which will provide more tourism opportunities. Official statistics show that in 2012, 75% of visitors stated that they came for a holiday/vacation. A Fiji honeymoon is very popular as are romantic getaways in general. There are also family friendly resorts having facilities for young children including kids clubs and nanny options. Fiji has several popular tourism destinations. The Botanical Gardens of Thursten in Suva, Sigatoka Sand Dunes, and Colo-I-Suva Forest Park are three options on the mainland (Viti Levu). A big attraction on the outer islands is scuba diving. TRANSPORTATION ~ GETTING THERE ... AIR The Nadi International Airport is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of central Nadi and is the largest Fijian hub. Nausori International Airport is about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of down town Suva and serves mostly domestic traffic. The main airport in the second largest island of Vanua Levu is Labasa Airport located at Waiqele, southwest of Labasa Town. The largest aircraft handled by Labasa Airport is the ATR42. Airports Fiji Limited (AFL) is responsible for the operation of 15 public airports in the Fiji Islands. These include two international airports: Nadi international Airport, Fiji’s main international gateway, and Nausori Airport, Fiji’s domestic hub, and 13 outer island airports. Fijis main airline was previously known as Air Pacific, but is now known as Fiji Airways. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji =================================== COVER ON OVER ~ by Fiji youtube/embed/UbxievZ2Aos
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 05:21:41 +0000
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