official), Fijian, Hindustani
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
total population:
86%
male:
90%
female:
81%
Labor force:
235,000
by occupation:
subsistence agriculture 67%, wage earners 18%, salary earners 15%
(1987)

@Fiji, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Fiji
conventional short form:
Fiji
Digraph:
FJ
Type:
republic
note:
military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji
a republic on 6 October 1987
Capital:
Suva
Administrative divisions:
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*,
Western
Independence:
10 October 1970 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Constitution:
10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was
proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; the
1990 Constitution is under review; the review will be complete by 1997
Legal system:
based on British system
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994); First Vice
President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 12 January 1994); Second
Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994); note -
President GANILAU died on 15 December 1993 and Vice President MARA
became acting president; MARA was elected president by the Great
Council of Chiefs on 12 January 1994
head of government:
Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)
Presidential Council:
appointed by the governor general
Great Council of Chiefs:
(highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by prime minister from members of Parliament and
responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the coup of 14 May
1987
Senate:
nonelective body containing 34 seats, 24 reserved for Melanesians, 9
for Indians and others, 1 for the island of Rotuma
House of Representatives:
elections last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1997);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (70 total, with ethnic
Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents
and other 6 seats) number of seats by party SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FA
5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Fijian Political Party (SVT - primari