The population of Fiji is mainly split between indigenous Fijians and Indians. The Indians live mostly on Viti Levu, the main island, and are descendants of those brought from India by the British to work on the sugar plantations. Other Pacific Islanders, Chinese, and Europeans make up the remaining population.

There are only nine towns, six of which are on Viti Levu. The two largest towns are Suva and Lautoka.

Ethnic tensions exist between native Fijians and Indians. Although the two groups share a national pride, they are equally proud of their individual traditions and achievements. As a result, they rarely mix and are political opponents. Indians often feel discriminated against by the Fijian government, and point to such inequalities as land ownership to support their case. More than 80 percent of all land is owned by Fijian clans. These tensions have increased since 1987, when a coalition with considerable support in the Indian Fijian community gained political power but was overthrown by the Fijian-dominated military. A new constitution was then introduced, guaranteeing majority representation in parliament to native Fijians.

English is the official language, although Fijian and Hindustani (an Indian language) are widely spoken. The Hindustani spoken in Fiji is called Fiji Bat or Fiji Talk, and differs slightly from that spoken in India. Fijian can be written in two different ways, one of which is more phonetic than the other. For instance, the letter “b” is pronounced with an “m” sound before it, as in the case of the town Ba, which can be written Ba or Mba. Also, a “q” is usually pronounced “ngg,” as in yaqona. English spoken among the people often includes words and phrases from Fijian, Hindustani, and other languages.

Native Fijians are mostly Christian. Various denominations are represented, but Methodists and Roman Catholics predominate. Indians are mostly Hindu or Muslim; some are Sikh and others are Christian. The Chinese are either Christian or Buddhist. The people often celebrate festivals of other religions. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and religion plays a major role in the lives of all of the people.

A native Fijian man chooses his own wife, and a grand wedding ceremony is held, accompanied by a solevu (a great feast). In the families of Fiji’s high chiefs, the parents must still approve their children’s future spouses. Indian parents have customarily arranged their children’s marriages, but this practice is also changing with outside influence.

The Fijian father acts as head of the home. Families can be large. The elderly are usually cared for by their children. Villages are composed of families that form clans or mataqali (land-holding units). This extended family system has a collective or communal way of living. Subsistence chores are shared between men and women. Men engage in spear fishing, gardening, and construction, while women fish using lines and small nets, and also do the cooking, weaving of ibe (pandanus mats), and collecting of wild plants for food. The community is of great importance, as is evident in community ceremonies, cooperative building projects, and community pride. The custom of kerekere dictates that a relative or neighbor may ask for something that is needed, and it must be willingly given without expectation of repayment.

The traditional Fijian home is called a bure. It is usually built of local hardwoods, a thatched roof, and woven floor covers. The four doors are usually kept open for air circulation and are used by different people. Visitors enter through the front door, except for the village chief, who enters at the side. A bure is one large room and is usually built by the entire community. Other than beds and sometimes a dresser, furniture is not considered necessary. Cooking is done in a smaller, separate structure.

Indians usually live in furnished tin, cement, or wooden homes, and some rural Fijians have adopted this housing style. Urban dwellers of all ethnic groups often live in European-style homes.

The mainstays of the Fijian diet are taro and cassava, starchy roots that can be grown in a family garden. Some leafy vegetables and many varieties of tropical fruit (papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and bananas) are also grown in Fiji. Many dishes are prepared in lolo (coconut milk). Seafood, chicken, pork, and beef are all eaten in Fiji, usually steamed, boiled, baked, or roasted. Indian meals generally consist of curries, rice, dhal (lentil soup), and roti (round, flat bread used for scooping up the curry). Many Fijian Indians are vegetarians, Hindus do not eat beef, and Muslims do not eat pork.

Traditionally, Fijians and Indians did not use eating utensils, but spoons and forks are becoming more common in urban areas. In Fijian villages, breakfast usually consists of tea drunk from tin bowls and possibly rice or any leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. For meals, most Fijians spread a cloth on the mat-covered floor, sit cross-legged, pray, pass a bowl of water around for washing hands, and eat from tin plates and bowls. The water bowl is passed again after the meal. Women and girls usually eat after the men and boys. Food is shared in Fijian villages, not only because of communal obligations, but also because most homes do not have refrigerators to keep leftovers. For large feasts and special meals, food is cooked in the traditional manner in a lovo (ground oven). Indian homes generally have a small washbasin in the dining room for washing hands.

The most common greeting among indigenous Fijians is Bula! (“Health”). In more formal situations a handshake might be added, and people may continue polite conversation for some time before they let go. Fijian Indians often use shorter handshakes and say Namaste when they greet. Native Fijians will go out of their way to greet anyone they meet. When passing a house in rural Fiji, a person is greeted with Mai kana (“Come eat”). In this casual society, it is common to address most people by their first names. When people are related or have an established relationship, they may greet by reference to that relationship rather than by using their first names. For example, close friends may address each other as itau (a traditional friendship), and male cousins might use tavale (“cousin”). A chief is addressed by the title Ratu before his first name. Among native Fijians, tilting the head down while speaking to someone shows respect. Physical displays of affection, even between married couples, are frowned upon.

Visiting is an important part of social relations; most visits are not prearranged. It is customary to remove one’s shoes when entering a home. Sitting cross-legged on a mat-covered floor is common in a Fijian home, but Indian homes have furniture. A chief or guest sits in a place of honour. It is impolite to stand higher than those who are sitting, so one takes care to be seated or to stoop when others are seated. Visits may last a long time. Refreshments are nearly always offered, and should be accepted with either Viinaka or Dhananbaad, the words for “Thank you” in Fijian and Hindustani, respectively.

An important symbol of social relations is yaqona, which is made from the root and lower stem of a shrub of the pepper family. The crushed or powdered root, when combined with water, is Fiji’s national drink. Sometimes called kava, the bitter-tasting drink encourages a sense of well-being and may be offered to guests as a special sign of goodwill. Yaqona is used to mark special occasions and end disputes, and is drunk at official ceremonies. Both native Fijians and Indians use the drink socially. It is prepared in a tanoa (special wooden bowl) and drunk from a bilo (coconut shell). When strangers enter a Fijian village, they seek out the chief or village headman to ask for permission to enter and visit, and are expected to present some yaqona to him. It is customary to clap three or more times (cobo) when presenting yaqona, as when accepting a gift, or excusing oneself when reaching above another person’s head.

Fijians are sports minded, and they especially enjoy rugby, soccer, and cricket—Fiji’s national rugby team is among the best in the world. The traditional Fijian game of veicaqe moli (“kick the orange”) is played by women in villages during January to celebrate the new year. The winning team must present the losers with clothes, while the losers are responsible for mixing and serving yaqona to the winners that night. Visitors enjoy the beaches, golf, many water sports (snorkeling, windsurfing, scuba diving, etc.), and game fishing. Visiting friends and relatives is one of the main leisure activities in Fiji. Festivals are also an important time of recreation.

Official public holidays include New Year’s Day (1 January), Easter (Good Friday through Easter Monday), National Youth Day (March), Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day (May or June), the British Queen’s Birthday (observed on a Monday around 14 June), Constitution Day (July), Fiji Day (or Independence Day, a Monday around 10 October), the prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (July), Diwali, (or the Hindu Festival of Lights, October or November), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December). Boxing Day comes from a British tradition in which gifts were presented to trades people and service workers; it is now a day for relaxing and visiting friends and family. There are also many festivals throughout the year to celebrate different events. The largest, held in Suva for a full week in August, is the Hibiscus Festival.

Fiji has been a republic since 1987. The head of state is the president. The 1990 constitution provides for a bicameral legislature in which native Fijians are guaranteed more than half the seats. The judicial branch is headed by a supreme court.

Exactly 96 years to the day after cession to Britain, Fiji gained its independence (10 October 1970). Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara became the first prime minister, and his Alliance party (mostly ethnic Fijians) governed until 1987, when a coalition including the National Federation party (mostly ethnic Indians) won a majority in parliamentary elections.

Two weeks after the elections, however, Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka led a military coup to restore control to native Fijians. Britain’s governor-general (Queen Elizabeth’s representative) assumed executive control and negotiated a settlement between the Indians and Fijians. Rabuka then staged a second coup, establishing a civilian government dominated by Fijians. Queen Elizabeth ceased to be head of state and Fiji was expelled from the Commonwealth by its member nations. Rabuka appointed Mara (the first prime minister in 1970) prime minister. A new constitution was ratified in 1990 that favors indigenous Fijians over Indians, and it is a continuing source of tension between the two groups. General elections were held in 1992, and Rabuka was elected prime minister. His government fell in November 1993 after losing a vote on the budget, but in elections held in February 1994 Rabuka was reelected.

Agriculture is the main economic activity. Primary cash crops include bananas, rice, taro, cassava, pineapples, coconuts, and copra. Until recently, sugar was the most important revenue earner, but tourism now equals it in economic importance. Fiji also exports garments, gold, timber, wood products, and processed tuna. The currency is the Fijian dollar.

Businesses are open Monday through Friday, usually 8 AM to 4:30 PM, with an hour’s break for lunch. Restaurants and shops remain open during lunch, but close on Saturday at around 1 PM. All shops close on Sunday, although some restaurants are permitted to remain open. Nearly all local businesses in Fiji are owned by Indians and Chinese.

Most people travel by open-air bus. Taxis and private cars are also used, but are more expensive. Relatively few people own cars. Ferries and two airlines provide services between more populated islands. Fiji has a modern communication system, with satellite links to other countries. There are eight radio stations, which broadcast in English, Fijian, and Hindustani. Limited television broadcasts are available in Suva, and there are plans to expand them. There are two daily English-language newspapers, a weekly Hindustani paper, and two weekly Fijian papers.

For the past 15 years, the government has worked to provide free primary school education; some secondary schooling is also free. Many schools are run by religious groups such as the Catholics, Hindus, Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Methodists, and Muslims. Each school has its own uniform, and most are coeducational. The University of the South Pacific is a collaborative higher-education venture by several small Pacific Island nations. It receives substantial funding from Fiji’s government, and one of its many campuses is located in Suva, the capital. Fiji also has a medical school, an Institute of Technology, and a College of Agriculture.

Standards of health care are high in Fiji, but changed lifestyles have seen increases in conditions such as circulatory disease. The government provides most medical care through local hospitals and clinics.