Fiji Overview

Fiji was discovered in 1643 by a Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, while searching for Australia. The eighteen hundreds was the first time that Europeans settled the islands permanently. They became a British colony in 1874, and Britain brought over contract laborers from India. In 1970, Fiji became an independent state. Fiji consists of 322 islands, but about a third are not inhabited. Also, Fiji includes 522 little islands also known as islets. Two of these islands are more important than the rest. These are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Most Fijians are educated, as the typical time spent in school is a high school education. Three main religions of Fiji are Christian, Hindu, and Muslim. The three main languages are English, Fijian, and Hindustani.