Republic of the Fiji Islands
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Flag of Fiji
Light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag;
the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of
Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove.
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Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a
British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two
military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government
perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract
laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century).
The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji,
led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in
economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority.
A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable.
Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led
by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in
a prolonged period of political turmoil.
Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically
elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.
- CIA World Factbook.
National Symbols of Fiji
Fiji's flag flew for the first time on Independence Day,
October 10, 1970. It includes the red, white and blue Union
Flag of Britain in the top left-hand corner and the shield from the
Fiji Coat of Arms on a light blue background in the fly.
www.fiji.gov.fj/publish/national_symbols.shtml
Fiji - Fotw
Description and history of the flag,
Detail of shield,
Flag change proposal (2005),
Presidential Standard,
Civil Ensign,
State Ensign,
War Ensign,
Civil Air Ensign,
Military Flags,
Coat-of-Arms.
www.fotw.us/flags/fj.html
Fiji - wikipedia.org
The first inhabitants of Fiji arrived from South
East Asia long before contact with European explorers
in the seventeenth century. Pottery excavated from Fijian
towns showed that Fiji was settled before or around 1000 BC.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji
Fiji - U.S. Department of State
Most of Fiji's population lives on Viti Levu's coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centers. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely populated due to its rough terrain.
Indigenous Fijians are a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian, resulting from the original migrations to the South Pacific many centuries ago. The Indo-Fijian population grew rapidly from the 60,000 indentured laborers brought from India between 1879 and 1916 to work in the sugarcane fields. Thousands more Indians migrated voluntarily in the 1920s and 1930s and formed the core of Fiji's business class. Native Fijians live throughout the country, while Indo-Fijians reside primarily near the urban centers and in the cane-producing areas of the two main islands. Nearly all of indigenous Fijians are Christian; more than three-quarters are Methodist. Approximately 80% of Indo-Fijians are Hindu, 15% are Muslim, and around 6% are Christian.
Some Indo-Fijians have been displaced by the expiration of land leases in cane-producing areas and have moved into urban centers in pursuit of jobs. Similarly, a number of indigenous Fijians have moved into urban areas, especially Suva, in search of a better life. Meanwhile, the Indo-Fijian population has declined due to emigration and a declining birth rate. Indo-Fijians currently constitute 37% of the total population, although they were the largest ethnic group from the 1940s until the late 1980s. Indo-Fijians continue to dominate the professions and commerce, while ethnic Fijians dominate government and the military.
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1834.htm
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