Fiji

Fiji

Republic of Fiji

CAPITAL: Suva

FLAG: The national flag of Fiji consists of the red, white, and blue Union Jack in the upper left corner of a light blue field, with the Fiji shield in the lower right corner.

ANTHEM: God Bless Fiji.

MONETARY UNIT: The Fiji dollar (F$) of 100 cents is the national currency. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, and notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 Fiji dollars. F$1 = US$0.5181 (or US$1 = F$1.93) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is official, but some British weights and measures are still in use.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Constitution Day, 24 July; Independence Day, 10 October; Christmas Day, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable religious holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Dewali, and Milad an-Nabi.

TIME: 12 midnight = noon GMT.

Location, Size, and Extent

Fiji, situated in the South Pacific about 4,450 km (2,765 mi) SW of Hawaii and 1,770 km (1,100 mi) N of New Zealand, comprises some 850 islands, of which only about 100 are inhabited. The island of Rotuma, added to Fiji in 1881, is geographically separate from the main archipelago and has an area of 44 sq km (17 sq mi).

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