Geography of Fiji

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fiji is a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, lying about 4,450 km (2,775 mi) southwest of Honolulu and 1,770 km (1,100 mi) north of New Zealand. Of the 322 islands and 522 smaller islets making up the archipelago, about 106 are permanently inhabited. Viti Levu, the largest island, covers about 57 % of the nation's land area, hosts the two official cities (the capital Suva, and Lautoka) and most other major towns, such as Ba, Nasinu, and Nadi (the site of the international airport), and contains some 69 % of the population. Vanua Levu, 64 km to the north of Viti Levu, covers just over 30 % of the land area and is home to some 15 % of the population. Its main towns are Labasa and Savusavu.

Both islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1300 m rising abruptly from the shore, and covered with tropical forests. Heavy rains (up to 304 cm or 120 in annually) fall on the windward (southeastern) side, covering these sections of the islands with dense tropical forest. Lowlands on the western portions of each of the main islands are sheltered by the mountains and have a well-marked dry season favorable to crops such as sugarcane.

Other islands and island groups, which cover just 2.5 % of the land area but house some 16 % of the population, include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group (to the north of the Mamanucas), which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group. The only major town on any of the smaller islands is Levuka, Fiji's old capital, on the island of Ovalau.

Fiji Television reported on 21 September 2006 that the Fiji Islands Maritime and Safety Administration (FIMSA), while reviewing its outdated maritime charts, had discovered the possibility that more islands could lie within Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone.

More than half of Fiji's population lives on the island coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centers. The interior is sparsely populated due to its rough terrain.

[edit] Statistics

Location

Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

18°00′S 179°00′E

Map references

Oceania

Area

• Total: 18,270 km²
• Land: 18,270 km²
• Water: 0 km²

Area - comparative

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: Fiji comprises 12 nm

Climate

Tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

• Mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes

• Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
• Highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources

Timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Land use

• Arable land: 10%
• Permanent crops: 4%
• Permanent pastures: 10%
• Forests and woodland: 65%
• Other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

10 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

Cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Environment - current issues

Deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
• Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

Geography - note

Includes 844 islands of which approximately 106 are inhabited

See also: Fiji