Fiji: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Fiji is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, in the region called Melanesia, about 2,000 kilometres north of New Zealand. It is made up of more than 330 islands, about 110 of them lived on, and most people live on the two largest, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Its capital is Suva, and about 900,000 people live in Fiji. It is known for coral reefs, palm-fringed beaches, friendly 'Bula!' greetings and rugby.

On My Earth Toy you can see the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple in Nadi, one of the largest Hindu temples in the Southern Hemisphere, with brightly painted towers. Look for the Fiji crested iguana, a rare green lizard, and for Monuriki, the little island where the film Cast Away was shot.

Geography and nature

The larger islands are volcanic, with rugged, forested mountains in the middle and sugar cane fields and beaches along the coasts. Many smaller islands are low coral islands surrounded by lagoons. Fiji's reefs, such as the Great Astrolabe Reef, are full of soft corals and colourful fish. The climate is tropical, with a wet season when cyclones can strike. The Fiji crested iguana lives only on a few islands and is critically endangered.

People, languages and culture

English, Fijian (iTaukei) and Fiji Hindi are official languages. Most people are Indigenous Fijians or Indo-Fijians, many of whose ancestors came from India to work on sugar plantations between 1879 and 1916. Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are all practised. Kava, a drink made from a pepper plant's root, is shared in ceremonies to welcome guests. Food is often cooked in a lovo, an earth oven heated with hot stones. Rugby is the national passion.

History in a nutshell

People first settled the islands about 3,000 years ago, and Fijian chiefdoms developed over many centuries. European traders and missionaries arrived in the 1800s. In 1874 Fijian chiefs ceded the islands to Britain, and Fiji became a British colony. It gained independence on 10 October 1970. Since then Fiji has gone through several changes of government, and it remains one of the leading nations of the Pacific Islands.