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Fiji is the hub of the
South West Pacific, midway between
Vanuatu and the
Kingdom of Tonga.
The archipelago is located between ′ east and west. The meridian runs through
Taveuni but the
International Dateline is bent to give uniform time to all of the Fiji group. With the exception of
Rotuma, the Fiji group lies between south. Rotuma is located 400 kilometres north of the group, 670 km from
Suva, 12° 30′ south of the equator.
Fiji consists of 322 islands (of which 106 are inhabited) and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are
Viti Levu and
Vanua Levu. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,
300 metres (4,250 ft), and covered with thick tropical forests. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. Other important towns include
Nadi (the location of the international airport), and the second city -Lautoka (the location of a large sugar mill and a seaport). The main towns on Vanua Levu are
Labasa and
Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and
Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the
Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and
Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the
Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote
Lau Group. Rotuma, some
500 kilometres (
310 mi) north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.
Fiji's nearest neighbour is
Tonga. Fiji's culture is a rich mosaic of indigenous,
Indian, Chinese and
European traditions, comprising social polity, language, food (based mainly from the sea, casava, dalo & other vegetables), costume, belief systems, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance and sports. The indigenous culture is very much active and living, and is a part of everyday life for the majority of the population. However, it has evolved with the introduction of old cultures like the
Indian and
Chinese ones, as well as a large influence from
Europe, and from various
Pacific neighbours of Fiji, mainly the
Tongan and
Samoan. The culture of Fiji has created a unique communal and national identity. Fiji's culture will be on display at the
Shanghai World Expo 2010, along with other Pacific countries in the Pacific
Pavilion.[39]
New Year's Day Mawlid
Good Friday Easter Saturday
Easter Monday National Youth Day Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day Queen's Birthday Fiji Day Diwali
Christmas Day Boxing Day the
Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the
Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the
Australian continent (the world's smallest),[10][11] the island of
Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and
Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include
Indonesia,
East Timor, and
Papua New Guinea to the north, the
Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and
New Caledonia to the northeast, and
New Zealand to the southeast.
For at least 40,
000 years before European settlement in the late
18th century, the
Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 language groups[12][13] of indigenous
Australians.[14] After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north, and discovery by
Dutch explorers in 1606,[15] the eastern half of
Australia was claimed by the
British in
1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of
New South Wales, founded on
26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and another five largely self-governing
Crown Colonies were established during the
19th century.
On 1
January 1901, the six colonies became a federation and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since
Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a
Commonwealth realm. The population is 22 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of
Sydney,
Melbourne,
Brisbane,
Perth and
Adelaide. The nation's capital city is
Canberra, in the
Australian Capital Territory.
Australia is a prosperous developed country with a multicultural society. It ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance such as human development, quality of life, health care, life expectancy, public education, economic freedom and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.[16]
Australian cities rank among the world's highest in terms of cultural offerings and quality of life. It is a member of the
United Nations,
G20,
Commonwealth of Nations,
OECD,
APEC,
Pacific Islands Forum and the
World Trade Organization.
Indigenous Australian Melbourne Adelaide Perth Sydney Canberra Brisbane
Darwin The koala and the eucalyptus form an iconic
Australian pair Non
Indigenous population Oceania Jamaica
- published: 20 May 2010
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