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Compare Fiji (2001) - European Union (2006)

Compare Fiji (2001) z European Union (2006)

 Fiji (2001)European Union (2006)
 FijiEuropean Union
Administrative divisions 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western -
Age structure 0-14 years:
32.92% (male 141,724; female 136,216)

15-64 years:
63.52% (male 268,411; female 267,871)

65 years and over:
3.56% (male 14,007; female 16,101) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)


15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)


65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish
Airports 27 (2000 est.) 3,115 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

over 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
1,863 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
24

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
19 (2000 est.)
1,252 (2006)
Area total:
18,270 sq km

land:
18,270 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 3,976,372 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Jersey less than one-half the size of the US
Background 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). A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a coup in May of 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. New elections are scheduled for August 2001. Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.

The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15.

A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 rejected the proposed constitution. This development suspended the ratification effort and left the longer-term political integration of the EU in limbo.
Birth rate 23.33 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues:
$610 million

expenditures:
$501 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
-
Capital Suva name: Brussels (Belgium)


geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October


note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg
Climate tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Coastline 1,129 km 65,413.9 km
Constitution 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; entered into force 28 July 1998; note - the May 1999 election was the first test of the amended constitution and introduced open voting - not racially prescribed - for the first time at the national level based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of the ratification process
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of the Fiji Islands

conventional short form:
Fiji
-
Currency Fijian dollar (FJD) -
Death rate 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $193 million (1998) -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Osman M. SIDDIQUE

embassy:
31 Loftus Street, Suva

mailing address:
P. O. Box 218, Suva

telephone:
[679] 314466

FAX:
[679] 300081
chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY


embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels


mailing address: same as above


telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222


FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Salaseini Lelelvawalu VOSAILAGI

chancery:
Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:
[1] (202) 337-8320

FAX:
[1] (202) 337-1996
chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON


chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500


FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
Disputes - international none as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; the 10 new member states that joined the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and procedures
Economic aid - recipient $40.3 million (1995) -
Economy - overview Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity. Roughly 300,000 tourists visit each year, including thousands of Americans following the start of regularly scheduled non-stop air service from Los Angeles. Fiji's growth slowed in 1997 because the sugar industry suffered from low world prices and rent disputes between farmers and landowners. Drought in 1998 further damaged the sugar industry, but its recovery in 1999 contributed to robust GDP growth. Long-term problems include low investment and uncertain property rights. The political turmoil in Fiji has had a severe impact with the economy shrinking by 8% in 1999 and over 7,000 people losing their jobs. The interim government's 2001 budget is an attempt to attract foreign investment and restart economic activity. The government's ability to manage the budget and fulfill predictions of 4% growth for 2001 will depend on a return to stability, a regaining of investor confidence, and the absence of international sanctions (which could cripple Fiji's sugar and textile industry). Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $15,000 to $56,000) and historic national animosities, the European Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the other 15. Twelve EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not participate. The 10 new member states may choose to adopt the euro when they meet the EU's fiscal and monetary criteria and the other euro states so agree.
Electricity - consumption 474.3 million kWh (1999) 2.711 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 282.6 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 281.2 billion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - production 510 million kWh (1999) 2.925 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
17.65%

hydro:
82.35%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Tomanivi 1,324 m
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion NA
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94


signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Ethnic groups Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.) -
Exchange rates Fijian dollars per US dollar - 2.1814 (January 2001), 2.1286 (2000), 1.9696 (1999), 1.9868 (1998), 1.4437 (1997), 1.4033 (1996) euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Executive branch note:
armed ethnic Fijian terrorists, led by George SPEIGHT stormed the Parliament building on 19 May 2000; ethnic Indo-Fijian Prime Minister Mahendra CHAUDHRY and his government were held hostage for 56 days; following the attempted coup, the Commander of the Fiji Military Forces, naval Commodore Frank BAINIMARAMA declared martial law and dissolved the government on 29 May 2000; an interim government, headed by interim Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE, was appointed to serve until a new constitution was initiated and subsequent elections held; in November 2000, Fiji's High Court upheld the 1997 constitution and ruled that Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA remained the president; Justice Anthony GATES concluded that MARA should recall the pre-May 19th Parliament and appoint a prime minister to form a new government; the Fiji Court of Appeals upheld GATES' decision on 1 March 2001; it ruled that the 1997 constitution had not been abrogated, Parliament had not been dissolved, only prorogued for six months, and that the presidency remained vacant since MARA's resignation took effect 15 December 2000; President Ratu Josefa ILOILO reinstated QARASE's interim government as the caretaker government and elections were scheduled for August 2001; approximately 23 fluid political parties are currently jockeying for power

chief of state:
President Ratu Josefa ILOILO (since NA 2000); Vice President Jope SENILOLI (since NA 2000)

head of government:
Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since NA 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Epeli NAILATIKAU (since NA 2000)

cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note -there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system

elections:
president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
Ratu Josefa ILOILO elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA%
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)


cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas)


elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009)


election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions


note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines
Exports $537 million (f.o.b., 1999) 5.322 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.
Exports - partners Australia 33.1%, US 14.8%, UK 13.8%, other Pacific island countries 8.8%, NZ 4.5%, Japan 4.5% (1999) US 24.2%, Switzerland 7.7%, China 5%, Russia 4.7% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year NA
Flag description light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.9 billion (1999 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
16%

industry:
30%

services:
54% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 27.3%


services: 70.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate -8% (1999 est.) 1.7% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 00 S, 175 00 E -
Geography - note includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited -
Heliports - 93 (2006)
Highways total:
3,440 km

paved:
1,692 km

unpaved:
1,748 km (1996)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.5% (1995 est.)
Imports $653 million (f.o.b., 1999) 15.69 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners Australia 41.9%, US 14%, NZ 13.3%, Japan 4.8%, Taiwan 1.9% (1999) US 15.3%, China 12.4%, Russia 7.8%, Japan 7.2% (2004)
Independence 10 October 1970 (from UK) 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Industrial production growth rate 2.9% (1995) 1.3% (2005 est.)
Industries tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism
Infant mortality rate 14.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0% (1999 est.) 2.2% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member), IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO


European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10, NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer)


European Central Bank: BIS


European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) -
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1993 est.) 131,250 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed for a six-year term
Labor force 235,000 218.5 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15% (1987) agriculture: 4.4%


industry: 27.2%


services: 67.2%


note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2005 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 11,214.8 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania 443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 151 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km


note: data for European Continent only
Land use arable land:
10%

permanent crops:
4%

permanent pastures:
10%

forests and woodland:
65%

other:
11% (1993 est.)
arable land: NA


permanent crops: NA


other: NA
Languages English (official), Fijian, Hindustani Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the 21st language on 1 January 2007
Legal system based on British system -
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the prime minister, eight appointed by the leader of the opposition, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open; members serve five-year terms)

elections:
House of Representatives - last held 11 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004)

election results:
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fiji Labor Party 37, others 34
Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term


elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28
Life expectancy at birth total population:
68.25 years

male:
65.83 years

female:
70.78 years (2001 est.)
total population: 78.3 years


male: 75.1 years


female: 81.6 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
91.6%

male:
93.8%

female:
89.3% (1995 est.)
-
Location Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern Europe, and the North Atlantic Ocean
Map references Oceania Europe
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
NA
Merchant marine total:
6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,870 GRT/14,787 DWT

ships by type:
chemical tanker 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
-
Military - note - In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by 2007.
(2005)
Military branches Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes ground and naval forces) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $24 million (FY98) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.1% (FY98) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
227,599 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
125,238 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
9,471 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970) Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of an organized Europe
Nationality noun:
Fijian(s)

adjective:
Fijian
-
Natural hazards cyclonic storms can occur from November to January flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Natural resources timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish
Net migration rate -3.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; Fijian Nationalist Federation Party or NFP [Singh RAKKA]; Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA]; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Jai Ram REDDY]; United General Party or UGP [David PICKERING] Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 844,330 (July 2001 est.) 456,953,258 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% see individual country listings
Population growth rate 1.41% (2001 est.) 0.15% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Lambasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu, Suva -
Radio broadcast stations AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)
Radios 500,000 (1997) -
Railways total:
597 km; note - belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation

narrow gauge:
597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)
total: 222,293 km


broad gauge: 28,438 km


standard gauge: 186,405 km


narrow gauge: 7,427 km


other: 23 km (2003)
Religions Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%

note:
Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.87 male(s)/female

total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: NA


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center

domestic:
NA

international:
access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note - see individual country entries of member states
Telephones - main lines in use 72,000 (1997) 238,763,162 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 5,200 (1997) 314,644,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations NA 2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)
Terrain mostly mountains of volcanic origin fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Total fertility rate 2.86 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 6% (1997 est.) 9.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways 203 km

note:
122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
53,512 km
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