W
ith a population of just
under 920,000, Fiji is a
giant among the South
Pacific’s little guys. It has an eth-
nically Melanesian majority, with
descendants of indentured Indian
sugar plantation workers making
up t he second-biggest c omponent
of F iji’s population.
Fiji’s national airline flies to Aus-
tralia and New Zealand as well
as serving regional and domes-
tic routes. Tourism is Fiji’s main
industry w hile Australia is the main
source of visitors. Tourists visit Fiji
to indulge in resort pursuits – lazing
poolside with colourful cocktails as
well as swimming, snorkelling, div-
ing, deep-sea fishing or spending a
few days cruising between islands.
They also spend time visiting lo-
cal markets and churches as well
as shopping in towns such as Suva,
Nadi and Lautoka.
Fiji has 330 islands, a few of which
are uninhabited rocky pinpricks.Fiji
ANNUAL VISITORS LAST YEAR: UPWARDS OF 686,000