The Beyond News

Fiji is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands of which about 110 are permanently inhabited and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The most outlying island group is Ono-i-Lau. About 87% of the total population of 883,483 live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts: either in the capital city of Suva; or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi where tourism is the major local industry; or in Lautoka, where the sugar-cane industry is dominant. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely inhabited because of its terrain.

The majority of Fiji's islands were formed by volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Some geothermal activity still occurs today on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. The geothermal systems on Viti Levu are non-volcanic in origin and have low-temperature surface discharges (of between roughly 35 and 60 degrees Celsius).

Humans have lived in Fiji since the second millennium BC first Austronesians and later Melanesians, with some Polynesian influences. Europeans first visited Fiji in the 17th century. In 1874, after a brief period in which Fiji was an independent kingdom, the British established the Colony of Fiji. Fiji operated as a Crown colony until 1970, when it gained independence and became known as the Dominion of Fiji. In 1987, following a series of coups d'état, the military government that had taken power declared it to be a Republic. In a 2006 coup, Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power. In 2009, the Fijian High Court ruled that the military leadership was unlawful. At that point, President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, whom the military had retained as the nominal head of state, formally abrogated the 1997 Constitution and re-appointed Bainimarama as interim prime minister. Later in 2009, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau succeeded Iloilo as president. On 17 September 2014, after years of delays, a democratic election took place. Bainimarama's FijiFirst party won 59.2% of the vote, and international observers deemed the election credible.

Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific through its abundant forest, mineral, and fish resources. The currency is the Fijian dollar, with the main sources of foreign exchange being the tourist industry, remittances from Fijians working abroad, bottled water exports, and sugar cane.[4] The Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development supervises Fiji's local government, which takes the form of city and town councils.

Foods in Fiji  :
(1) Kokoda : 

Similar to ceviche Kokoda is a fish marinated in citrus juices. Made with Mahi Mahi or any other freshly caught local fish, its mixed with coconut cream, onions, tomatoes and chilis​. The locals love this spicy dish and its served in a super festive way: in a large clamshell or coconut shell. It's considered the national dish of Fiji

(2) Rourou : 

Rourou is Dalo or Taro leaves and is similar to spinach. It can be served in a variety of ways. One popular preparation is to cook it down to a similar consistency as that of cream of spinach (without the cream)​. The super traditional Fijian tradition involves cooking the rourou leaves in an underground earth oven also know as a "Lovo". With Rourou you can also make Fijian Rourou Peti, which is rourou leaves stuffed with  a mixture of chili, onion, coconut milk, and tuna. They are little bundles of joy in the mouth. ​

(3) Lovo : 

Lovo is a cooking method and when you serve lovo, you serve an array of dishes cooked in a lovo. Similar to when you have BBQ. ​The lovo is kind of like an underground oven. For a lovo, all the proteins and the taro are marinated and then wrapped in foil. After all the food is placed in the hole, everything is covered up with banana leaves and hot rocks and left for 2-3 hours to cook. This is a popular celebratory meal. 

(4) Palusami : 

Palusami is assembled using rourou or taro leaves, the leaves are stuffed with a meat and coconut mixture.​ It usually stuffed with corned beef and onion but its common to stuff it with seafood also. Corned beef has been traditionally used because fresh meat hasn't always been easily accessible to the island. 

(5) Topoi : 

This is a breakfast or brunch item that tastes amazing with tons of butter.

(6) Coconut Bread​ : 

​In Fiji, the coconut tree is known as the "tree of life". Indeed you'll find that so many of the recipes in Fiji feature coconut as an ingredient. Coconut bread has been around for thousands of years in Fiji and is a delicious staple food of the culture. 

Weather & geography in  Fiji :
Fiji has a warm tropical climate perfect for beachside holidays. Maximum temperatures rarely move out of the 31°C (88°F) to 26°C (79°F) range all year round. Southeast trade winds from May to October bring dry weather and the rainy season runs from November to April.Fiji comprises a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific lying about 4,450 km. (2,775 mi.) southwest of Honolulu and 1,770 km. (1,100 mi.) north of New Zealand. Its 322 islands range in size from the large--Viti Levu (about the size of the "Big Island" of Hawaii, and where Suva and 70% of the population are located) and Vanua Levu--to much smaller islands, of which just over 100 are inhabited. The larger islands contain mountains as high as 1,200 meters (4,000 ft.) rising abruptly from the shore.Heavy rains--up to 304 cm. (120 in.) annually--fall on the windward (southeastern) side, covering these sections of the islands with dense tropical forest. Lowlands on the western portions of each of the main islands are sheltered by the mountains and have a well-marked dry season favorable to crops such as sugarcane.

Per day Cost in Fiji :
As a general guide, you'll need around FJD$360 (AUD$226) per person per day in Fiji if you're on a budget. For a midrange trip, you could be looking at FJD$360-800 (AUD$226-$501). For a luxury-style trip, aim for at least FJD$800 (AUD$501) per day.

History of Fiji :

The majority of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Today, some geothermic activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Fiji was settled first by the Lapita culture, around 1,500 – 1,000 years BCE, followed by a large influx of people with predominantly Melanesian genetics about the time of the beginning of the Common Era. Europeans visited Fiji from the 17th century, and, after a brief period as an independent kingdom, the British established the Colony of Fiji in 1874. Fiji was a Crown colony until 1970, when it gained independence as the Dominion of Fiji. A republic was declared in 1987, following a series of coups d'état.In a coup in 2006, Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power. When the High Court ruled in 2009 that the military leadership was unlawful, President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, whom the military had retained as the nominal Head of State, formally abrogated the Constitution and reappointed Bainimarama. Later in 2009, Iloilo was replaced as president by Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. After years of delays, a democratic election was held on 17 September 2014. Bainimarama's Fiji First party won with 59.2% of the vote, and the election was deemed credible by international observers.