| |
 |
Geography
|
Fiji
THE name Fiji（斐济）is a corruption (转讹) of the indigenous（本地的）Viti Levu (维提岛).
The Fiji Islands are arrayed in a horseshoe configuration with two main islands Viti Levu (great Fiji) and Vanua Levu (great land, 瓦努瓦岛).
If every single island were counted, the isles of the Fiji archipelago would number in the thousands. However, a mere 322 are judged large enough for human habitation and of these only 106 are inhabited. That leaves 216 uninhabited islands, most of them prohibitively isolated or lacking fresh water.
Together the Fiji Islands are scattered over 1.29 million square km of the South Pacific Ocean.
Most of the islands are volcanic. None of Fiji's volcanoes are presently active, though there are a few small hot springs.
The two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, together account for 87 per cent of Fiji's 18,272 square km of land. Viti Levu has over 50 per cent of the land area and three-quarters of the people, while Vanua Levu, with more than 30 of the land, has 18 per cent of the population.
Compared to parts of North America and Europe, the seasonal climatic variations in Fiji are not extreme. There's a hotter, more humid season from November to April, and a cooler, drier time from May to October.
English is the official language. Fijian and Indian are spoken in many dialects.
(SD-Agencies)
|
|
|
|
