| The Fiji islands are located in the south-west Pacific Ocean, south of the equator and north of the tropic of Capricorn. Australia lies 3160 km to the south-west, New Zealand lies 2120 km to the south. Fiji has over 300 islands in its archipelago, each fringed with coral reefs and lapped by warm azure waters - the diving and snorkelling are superb. Their size varies from tiny patches of land to Viti Levu (big Fiji), which is 10,390 sq km.
Malolo Lai is part of the Mamanuca Group (pronounced Mah-mah-noo-tha), located just off the western coast of Viti Levu. There are 13 islands in the Mamanuca Group, not counting those covered by the Pacific at high tide, all with white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters.
The Mamanucas are essentially volcanic outcrops pushed up from the ocean floor in a gigantic earthquake thousands of years ago. Some are especially significant in Fijian folklore. From the air you can see that the Mamanucas group is in fact two clusters known as Mamanuca-i-ra and Mamanuca-i-cake. Within the Mamanucas is the Malolo group, three miles inside the barrier reef, extending in a curve for about 75 miles.
Fiji is an interesting blend of Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indian, Chinese and European influences. For nearly 50 years, until the military coup of 1987, the indigenous people of Fiji represented an ethnic minority in their own land.
Fiji was the trade centre for the South Pacific during the 19th century, and the British claimed it as a colony in 1874. During the century or so that Fiji remained under British colonial rule, tens of thousands of indentured Indian labourers were imported to work on sugar plantations. Indigenous Fijians, however, managed to hold onto their traditional rites and practices - meke (narrative dance), bure (house) construction, kava ceremonies, tapa-cloth making and pottery.
Full country name: Republic of Fiji
Area: 18,333 sq km (7150 sq mi)
Population: 772,000
Capital city: Suva (population 141,000)
People: Indigenous Fijian 50%, Indian 45%
Languages: English is the official language, Fijian dialects are spoken by the indigenous Fijians (Bauan is the most spoken) and the Indian community speak Fiji-Hindi
Religion: 53% Christian, 38% Hindus, 8% Muslims, and 1% Sikhs
Government: Democracy
President: Ratu Josefa Iloilo
Prime Minister: Laisenia Qarase
GDP: US$4.3 billion
GDP per head: US$5,700
Inflation: 1%
Major industries: Sugar, tourism, gold, fish, lumber and clothing
Major trading partners: Australia, Japan and New Zealand
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