Capital city: Suva (on Viti Levu)
Languages: English and Fijian (official)
Population: Abt. 0.9 million
Area: 18,270 Sq km
GDP per capita: 4,397 in 2011
GDP current US$: 4 in 2011
Ease of Business Ranking: 60 in 2013
Fiji is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Its closest neighbors are Vanuatu to the west, France's New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec to the southeast, Tonga to the east, the Samoas, France's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north.
The majority of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Today, some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium BC.
According to government estimates, Fiji requires more than 4,200 new houses each year to maintain adequate housing standards. Natural disasters such as cyclones and tropical storms have caused problems in creating and maintaining adequate housing stock.
The Fiji Housing Authority provides accommodations for urban workers and extends credit for houses it builds and sells. At last estimate, housing stock exceeded 126,000 units, of which 30% were made of corrugated iron or tin; 30% were concrete; more than 25% were wood; and nearly 10% were bure.
The water supply was mostly individually piped (53%), communally piped (20%), or obtained from wells (13%). Roughly 32% of all dwellings had private flush toilets while 42% used latrines, and 49% had electricity.