Fiji (Republic of the Fiji Islands)

Fiji Republic of the Fiji Islands
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	59th best
Capital	Suva
Land Area	18 270km21
Location	Australasia, Melanesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.9m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	70.15yrs (2017)3
GNI	$8 245 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	FJ, FJI, 2425
Internet Domain	.fj6
Currency	Dollar (FJD)7
Telephone	+6798

1. Overview
2. Fiji National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions, and initially refused to hold elections. In 2012, he promised to hold elections in 2014.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Fiji is surely every beach bum´s vision of nirvana. Palm-fringed beaches, fish-packed reefs and smiling locals: pack your swimsuit and sunscreen, these sunny isles are so warm they sizzle. With alabaster beaches, cloudless skies and kaleidoscopic reefs, Fiji is the embodiment of the South Pacific dream. Most who head here want little more than to fall into a sun-induced coma under a shady palm, and with over 300 islands to choose from, the decision on where to unfurl your beach towel isn´t easy. While some may find that anything more than two snorkelling excursions a day and half an hour on the volleyball court is not in keeping with Fiji´s famously languid sense of time, there is more to these isles than can ever be seen from a deckchair or swim-up bar.

To get to grips with the national psyche, though, you have to spend some time on the mainland. Two-thirds of the population live in urban centres and it is on Viti Levu that you´ll find the country´s two cities: Suva, the capital, and Lautoka, a working port town reliant on the sugar-cane farms that surround it. Suva´s nightlife and large student population give it a youthful if slightly unexpected vibe.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Fiji National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
88	Thailand	87
89	Ecuador	89
90	China	90
91	Fiji	91
92	St Lucia	92
93	Mongolia	92
94	Jamaica	94
95	Colombia	95
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.3
2	Sweden	81.7
3	Norway	80.9
	...
56	Albania	59.4
57	Croatia	59.3
58	Liechtenstein	59.1
59	Fiji	58.9
60	Mongolia	58.7
61	Antigua & Barbuda	58.6
62	St Lucia	58.6
63	Romania	58.4
	World Avg	53.8
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100	Dominican Rep.	15.6
101	Venezuela	15.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
24	Macedonia	21.9
25	Sao Tome & Principe	21.9
26	Moldova	21.5
27	Fiji	21.3
28	Portugal	20.8
29	Lesotho	20.5
30	El Salvador	20.5
31	Micronesia	19.7
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
100	Poland	1.40
101	Nepal	2.60
102	Macedonia	1.40
103	Fiji	2.61
104	Korea, S.	1.38
105	Slovakia	1.36
106	Botswana	2.64
107	Kyrgyzstan	2.64
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
118	Pakistan	2.3
119	Cambodia	2.2
120	Poland	2.2
121	Fiji	2.2
122	Yemen	2.1
123	Kenya	2.0
124	Kiribati	2.0
125	Comoros	2.0
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
114	Korea, N.	70.52
115	Trinidad & Tobago	70.52
116	Russia	70.26
117	Fiji	70.15
118	Belize	70.08
119	Nepal	69.99
120	Bhutan	69.85
121	Mongolia	69.81
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
155	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.2m
156	Cyprus	1.1m
157	Djibouti	0.9m
158	Fiji	0.9m
159	Comoros	0.8m
160	Guyana	0.8m
161	Bhutan	0.8m
162	Equatorial Guinea	0.7m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Fiji's population is predicted to rise to 958 253 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.61. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015)18
Pos.		Lower is better18
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
72	Romania	0.34
73	Mexico	0.35
74	St Lucia	0.35
75	Fiji	0.36
76	Georgia	0.36
77	Argentina	0.36
78	Bahamas	0.36
79	Thailand	0.37
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote19
Pos.		Lower is better Year19
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
139	Morocco	1963
140	Iran	1963
141	Kenya	1963
142	Fiji	1963
143	Afghanistan	1963
144	Equatorial Guinea	1963
145	Bahamas	1963
146	Sudan	1964
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Fiji has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₀:

Christian	64.4%
Muslim	6.3%
Hindu	27.9%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.8%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 55.4% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%, Anglican 0.8%, other 10.4%), Hindu 27.9%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other or unspecified 0.3%, none 0.7% (2007 census)₂₁.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

6. The Internet

Internet Users (2016)22
Pos.		Higher is better22
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103	Paraguay	47%
104	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)23
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio23
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
169	Cuba	0.0
170	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
171	Montenegro	0.0
172	Libya	0.0
173	Jamaica	0.0
174	Fiji	0.0
175	Jordan	0.0
176	Barbados	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)18
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100018
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
98	Vanuatu	43.1
99	Thailand	44.6
100	Antigua & Barbuda	44.8
101	Fiji	44.8
102	S. Africa	45.5
103	Cuba	45.6
104	Suriname	46.1
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	46.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)24
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita24
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
51	Tajikistan	2.8
52	Kiribati	3.0
53	Papua New Guinea	3.0
54	Fiji	3.0
55	El Salvador	3.2
56	Micronesia	3.3
57	Gambia	3.4
58	Nauru	3.5
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)25
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %25
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21	Mauritius	97.6
22	Fiji	97.6
23	Kuwait	97.5
24	Morocco	97.5
25	Monaco	97.3
26	Cook Islands	97.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)26
Pos.		Lower is better26
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
95	Seychelles	590
96	Jamaica	593
97	Korea, N.	610
98	Fiji	618
99	Cambodia	645
100	Equatorial Guinea	649
101	Singapore	652
102	Bangladesh	665
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. Politics and Freedom

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)27
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties27
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
158	Qatar	10
159	Vatican City	10
160	India	10
161	Fiji	10
162	Vietnam	10
163	Vanuatu	10
164	Iraq	9
165	Samoa	9
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)28
Pos.		Lower is better Rank28
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
59	Ghana	59
60	Jamaica	60
61	Haiti	61
62	Fiji	61
63	Dominican Rep.	63
64	Cambodia	64
65	Madagascar	65
66	Brunei	66
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)29
Pos.		Lower is better29
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
103	Uganda	3169
104	Peru	3187
105	Kyrgyzstan	3220
106	Fiji	3269
107	Brazil	3275
108	Bolivia	3280
109	Qatar	3286
110	Panama	3295
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries