Suva is the capital city of Fiji. It is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Central Division, of which it is the administrative centre. In 1877, it was decided to make Suva the capital of Fiji when the geography of former main European settlement at Levuka on the island of Ovalau proved too restrictive. The administration of the colony was moved from Levuka to Suva in 1882. At the 1996 census, the last to date, the city of Suva had a population of 77,366 [1]. Including independent suburbs, the population of the Greater Suva urban area was 167,975 at the same census [2]. In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ... Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. ... The Central Division of Fiji is one of Fijis four divisions. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Beach Street, Levuka, Fiji Levuka is a town on the south-east coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji, of which it is the capital. ... Ovalau (IPA: []) is the largest island in Fijis Lomaiviti archipelago. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

Suva, capital of Fiji

Image File history File links Suva. ... Image File history File links Suva. ...

Physical characteristics

Suva is the commercial and political centre of Fiji, and the largest urban area in the South Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand. It is Fiji's main port city and was the host of the 2003 South Pacific Games. World map exhibiting a common interpretation of Oceania; other interpretations may vary. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The South Pacific Games is a Multi-sport event, much like the Olympics, (albeit on a much smaller scale), with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. ...

Although Suva is on a peninsula, and almost surrounded by sea, the nearest beach is 40 kilometres (25 mi) away at Pacific Harbour, and the nearby coast is lined by mangroves. A significant part of the city centre, including the old Parliament Buildings, is built on reclaimed mangrove swamp. A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Fijis Parliament is bicameral. ...

Suva is noted for its considerable rainfall. Although it is not as wet as Pohnpei, the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, it has a markedly higher rainfall than Nadi and the western side of Viti Levu, which is known to Suva citizens as "the burning west". World Class Surf of Pohnpeis Palikir Pass a. ... Sri Siva Subramaniya temple, a centre of worship for Fijis Hindu community and one of Nadis most visible landmarks. ... Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. ...

Landmarks

Fiji's tallest building, Suva Central, has been recently completed and stands 24.6 meters (81 ft) taller than the Reserve Bank of Fiji Building. Suva Central is currently the tallest building in the Pacific Islands region and is located near the old Morris Hedstrom store. Another well-known landmark is the Suva City Library, built in 1909 and financed by the Scottish-American steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie. The Reserve Bank of Fiji Building is in Suva, Fiji and is the tallest building in Fiji. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... The steel cable of a colliery winding tower. ... Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, a major and widely respected philanthropist, and the founder of the Carnegie Steel Company which later became U.S. Steel. ...

The Government buildings complex occupies what was once the bed of a swampy creek. This was drained in 1935 and over five kilometres of reinforced concrete pilings were driven into the creek bed to support the massive buildings to be erected. After the foundation stone was laid in 1937, the building was completed in 1939; a new wing was completed in 1967. Parliament, however, was moved to a new complex on Ratu Sukuna Road in 1992. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Fijis Parliament is bicameral. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Government House was formerly the residence of Fiji's colonial Governors and, following independence in 1970, Governors-General. It is now the official residence of Fiji's President. Originally erected in 1882, it had to be rebuilt in 1928, following its destruction by lightning in 1921. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Fiji became a British Crown Colony in 1874, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth in 1970. ... Fiji became a republic in 1987, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally abdicated as Queen of Fiji, following two military coups led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ...

The Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) occupies what was once a New Zealand seaplane base. It is the largest of the many USP campuses dotted throughout the South Pacific. The University of the South Pacific (USP) is the premier provider of tertiary education in the Pacific Region, and an international centre of excellence for teaching and research on all aspects of Pacific culture and environment. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery. ...

The Fiji Museum, located in the Thurston Gardens, was founded in 1904 and originally occupied the old town hall, but moved to its present location in 1954. The museum houses the most extensive collection of Fijian artifacts in the world, and is also a research and educational institution, specializing in archeology, the preservation of Fiji's oral tradition, and the publication of material on Fiji's language and culture. Thurston Gardens are the botanical gardens of Fiji. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Suva has about 78 parks. These include the new Takashi Suzuki Garden and the Thurston Gardens. Opened in 1913, the Thurston Gardens are replete with flora from throughout the South Pacific. Apted Park, at Suva Point, is a well-known spot for viewing sunrise and sunset. Thurston Gardens are the botanical gardens of Fiji. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Rayleigh effect, seconds before sunrise in New Zealand Sunrise, also called sunup in some American English dialects, is the time at which the first part of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. ... A composite image showing the terminator dividing night from day, running across Europe and Africa. ...

Demographics of Suva

Suva is a multiracial and multicultural city. Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, the two principal ethnic groups of Fiji, comprise the bulk of Suva's population, but the city is also home to the majority of Fiji's ethnic minority populations, which include Caucasians and Chinese, amongst others. The majority of expatriates working in Fiji are also based in Suva. The most widely spoken language is English, but Fijian, Hindustani, and other Indian languages are also spoken by their respective communities. The majority of the residents of greater suva live in squatter settlements. The number of squatters has been increasing yearly the past fifteen years. Crime and drug abuse is on the increase, as are problems with gangs and thuggery. Indigenous Fijians are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands. ... Indo-Fijians are people born in Fiji, but are ethnically Indian. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Hindustānī (/ /; हिन्दुस्तानी, ہندوستانی), also known as Hindī-Urdū, is a term used by linguists to describe several closely related idioms in the northern, central and northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and the vernacular blend between its two standardized registers in the form of the official languages of Hindī and Urd...

Institutions

Suva is host to more international and regional intergovernmental agencies and NGOs than any other Pacific Island capital. Some of the bodies with a presence in Suva are: The term non-governmental organization (NGO) is used in a variety of ways all over the world and, depending on the context in which it is used, can refer to many different types of organizations. ...

• The TRAFFIC Oceania South Pacific Programme - funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is located in Suva, in the offices of the WWF South Pacific Programme. The programme assists in the implementation of CITES, but also strengthens collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature.

• The Fiji School of Medicine - which is now classed as a regional agency and a member of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific

• The University of the South Pacific which operates a campus in Suva as well as at other South Pacific locations.

• The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

• The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

• The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ... The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. ... The Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) [1] is an inter-organisational consultative process which aims to prevent either overlaps, or gaps, appearing between the work-programmes of its various members. ... The University of the South Pacific (USP) is the premier provider of tertiary education in the Pacific Region, and an international centre of excellence for teaching and research on all aspects of Pacific culture and environment. ... Flag of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community The Secretariat of the Pacific Community or SPC is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations and territories. ... The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental consultative organization which aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean and represent their interests. ... The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is an inter-governmental regional organisation dedicated to providing services to promote sustainable development in the countries it serves. ...

Municipal government

Main article: Suva City Council

Suva has municipal status and is governed by a Lord Mayor and a 20-member city council, which is controlled by the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua following elections on 12 November 2005. The current Lord Mayor is Ratu Peni Volavola. The five wards of Suva City. ... Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ... The United Fiji Party (Fijian: Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua) is a political party in Fiji. ... Municipal elections were held for 11 of Fijis twelve city and town councils on 22 October 2005. ... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ratu Peni Volavola Ratu Peni Volavola is the Lord Mayor of the Fijian capital of Suva. ...

History

In return for a promise to pay off debts owed to the United States by the Bauan chieftain, Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the Australian-based Polynesia Company was granted 5000 km² of land, 575 km² of it near what was then the village of Suva, in 1868. The original intention was to develop a cotton farming industry, but the land and climate proved unsuitable. Bau is a small island in Fiji, off the east coast of the main island of Viti Levu. ... Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. ... Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (1815-1883) was King of Fiji from 8 December 1852 to 10 October 1874, when he ceded his country to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Following the annexation of the Fiji Islands by the United Kingdom in 1874, the colonial authorities decided to move the capital to Suva from Levuka in 1877. The transfer was made official in 1882. Colonel F.E. Pratt of the Royal Engineers was appointed Surveyor-General in 1875 and designed the new capital, assisted by W. Stephens and Colonel R.W. Stewart. Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Beach Street, Levuka, Fiji Levuka is a town on the south-east coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji, of which it is the capital. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Following the promulgation of the Municipal Constitution Ordinance of 1909, Suva acquired municipal status in 1910. The town initially comprised one square mile; these boundaries remained intact until 1952 when the Muanikau and Samabula wards were annexed, expanding its territory to 13 square kilometers. In October that year, Suva was proclaimed a City - Fiji's first. Tamavua was subsequently annexed; the most recent extension of the city boundaries has been to incorporate the Cunningham area to the north of the city. Urban sprawl has resulted in a number of suburbs that remain outside of the city limits; together with the city itself, they form a metropolitan area known as the Greater Suva Area. 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... Urban sprawl (also: suburban sprawl), a term with pejorative implication, refers to the unplanned, rapid and expansive growth of a greater metropolitan area, traditionally suburbs (or exurbs) over a large area. ...

External links

• Suva at WikiMapia

Suva travel guide from Wikitravel // WikiMapia is an online map resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information (in the form of a note) to any location on the globe. ... Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ...

• Suva City Council (official website)

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: -18.1416° 178.4419°
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Aerial image from TerraServer
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

v • d • e  Political divisions of Fiji
	Divisions: Central | Eastern | Northern | Western Provinces: Ba | Bua | Cakaudrove | Kadavu | Lau | Lomaiviti | Macuata | Nadroga-Navosa | Naitasiri | Namosi | Ra | Rewa | Serua | Tailevu Dependency: Rotuma Cities: Lautoka | Suva Towns: Ba | Labasa | Lami | Levuka | Nadi | Nasinu | Nausori | Savusavu | Sigatoka | Tavua