Day 72 – Fiji

Fiji is an archipelago nation of 330 islands in the south Pacific, lying approximately 1300 miles north east of New Zealand. The total population is roughly 930,000, the majority of whom live on either Viti Levu or Vanua Levu. Today Queen Anne docked at the port of Suva on the island of Viti Levu, the largest island. Suva is Fiji‘s political, economic and cultural centre. Around 70% of Fiji‘s population lives on Viti Levu which measures 91 miles x 66 miles and has a land area of 4011 sq miles. A mountain range runs from north to south through the centre of the island.

Sadly, more than half of Fiji‘s population live below the poverty line, with more than 400,000 people living on $25 a week or less (source: TheBorgenproject.org), 220,000 people lack access to safe drinking water and typhoid is a regular health hazard. Fiji is susceptible to climate change with sea levels predicted to rise by up to 35cm by 2065. This would mean 30% of Fijians would be displaced from their homes within the next 40 years. Life expectancy is only 67 and 8% of children are malnourished. Military coups in 2000 and 2006 damaged Fijian society, isolated the country internationally, led to a drain of capital and skills and economic growth remains slow.

Today we took a bus to Pacific Harbour Beach where we spent a pleasant couple of hours.