Fiji/ˈfiːdʒiː/ (listen) (Fijian:Viti;Fiji Hindi:फ़िजी), offeecially theRepublic o Fiji (Fijian:Matanitu ko Viti;Fiji Hindi:फ़िजी गणरा[8] fiji dvip samooh ganarajya), is anisland naition inMelanesie in the SoothPacific Ocean aboot 2000 km northeast oNew Zealand'sNorth Island. Its mair immediate neighbours areVanuatu tae the wast,Fraunce'sNew Caledon tae the soothwast, New Zealand'sKermadec tae the sootheast,Tonga tae the east, theSamoas an Fraunce'sWallis an Futuna tae the northeast anTuvalu tae the north. Fiji haes haed indwallers syne the seicont millennium B.C. In the 17t an 18t centuries, the Dutch an the Breetish explored Fiji.[9] Fiji wis a Breetish colony up till 1970; Breetish occupation lastit amaist a century.[10] Acause o the abundance o forest, mineral, an fish resoorces, Fiji is ane o the maist developed economies in the Pacific island realm. The day, the main soorces o foreign exchynge are its tourist industry an succar exports.[11] The kintra's currency is theFijian dollar.
The majority o Fiji's islands wur formed throu volcanic activity stairtit aroond 150 million years ago. The day, some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands o Vanua Levu an Taveun.[12] Fiji comprises anarchipelago o mair nor 332islands, o which 110 are permanently inhabitit, an mair nor 500islets, amountin tae a tot land aurie o ca. 18,300 km2. The twa major islands,Viti Levu anVanua Levu, accoont for 87% o the population o amaist 850,000. The umwhile containsSuva, the caipital an lairgest ceety. Maist o Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts, aither in Suva or in smawer urban centers. Viti Levu's interior is spairsely inhabitit due tae its terrain.[13]
Fiji haes a local govrenment seestem whaur ceety an toun councils faw unner the general supervision o the Meenistry o Local Govrenment an Urban Development.[14] Preses Ratu Epeli Nailatikau became Fiji's preses, efter a hie court ruled that the military leadership wis unlawfully appointit efter a 2006 coup.[15] DurinWarld War II, theUnitit Kinrick alloued for mony thoosans o Fijians tae volunteer tae aid in Allies' efforts via thair attachment tae theNew Zealand anAustralian airmy units.The Republic o Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), comprising o land an naval units defend an pertect Fiji.
Fiji's main island is kent as Viti Levu an it is frae this that the name "Fiji" is derived, tho the common Inglis pronunciation is based on that o thair island neighbours in Tonga. Its emergence wis best describit as follaes:
Fijians first impressed themsels on European consciousness through the writins o the members o the expeditions oCook who met them in Tonga. They wur described as formidable warriors an ferocious cannibals, builders o the finest vessels in the Pacific, but no great sailors. They inspired awe amangst the Tongans, an aw their Manufactures, especially bark cloth an clubs, wur heichlie esteemed an muckle in demand. They cawed their home Viti, but the Tongans called it Fisi, an it wis bi this foreign pronunciation, Fiji, first promulgatit bi Captain James Cook, that these islands are nou kent.[16]
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