Islands of The Pacific Ocean by Douglas Scott

Fiji officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island in the South Pacific Ocean. It has a population of around 850,000. Three quarters of the population live on the main island of Viti Levu. The second island of Vanua Levu has about a fifth of the population, the remainder being scattered throughout the other islands. It has 322 islands, of which 106 are inhabited, and 522 smaller islets.

For its size, Fiji has large armed forces, and has been a major contributor to UN Peacekeeping Missions in various parts of the world. The tallest building in Fiji is the fourteen-storey Reserve Bank of Fiji Building in Suva, which opened in 1984.

The capital of Fiji, Suva is like any other modern city with lively nightlife and good shopping facilities. Suva, this is Fijis confluence of ethnicities and cultures. Within the urban milieu you will discover the influence of every island and background. It is Fijis political and administrative capital. Suvas colour is best experienced wandering along its lively waterfront area, shopping for exotic fruits and spices at the Suva Municipal Market, and visiting the city's many mosques, temples and cultural centres.

The outer islands are more relaxed in pace and ideal for romantic getaways. Inland you will find volcanic mountains and lush tropical rainforest on the larger islands. The language spoken on Fiji is English.

Most of the islands are surrounded with wonderful beaches ideal for swimming, lazing, snorkelling diving surfing and windsailing. Snorkelling is available just about everywhere canoeing and kayaking is as easy as dragging your craft into the water and exploring the waters around you. The prevailing south east trade winds will almost guarantee you keep up good speed aboard your windsurfer. Some resorts even offer water scooters and waterskiing.

Fijis best known and pervasive outdoor cooking is the lovo, an underground oven of heated rocks cooking a variety of foods wrapped in banana leaves. Then covered with earth and comes out after several hours of cooking with a faintly smoky flavour, lovos, produce succulent, tender meats, seafood, chicken and given the proper occasion, a whole suckling pig.

Other traditional Fijian dishes are. Kokoda, Fijis most popular speciality, is portions of fresh fish marinated in lime juice and served in a half coconut in lolo a word that sounds as sweet as it taste made from the sweet cream of the coconut. Or savour a palusami, meat wrapped in taro dalo leaves and cooked in lolo.

Author Resource: Douglas Scott writes for The Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Fiji Island Rental Site

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