[11] In 1876, Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, the British colonial Governor, prohibited the sale of Fijian land to non-ethnic Fijians. His Royal Highness Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, presented the Instruments of Independence to Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on 10 October 1970 at a massive gathering at Albert Park in Suva. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Minister of Fijian Affairs consulted with the President as part of the selection process. In 1970, Fiji became a fully independent nation with constitutional arrangements to ensure that traditional Fijian interests were preserved. The widely used Fijian language has many dialects; the one most commonly used is known as Bauan Fijian and comes from Bau (Mbau), an island that enjoyed political supremacy at the advent of colonial rule. Later they would move onward to other surrounding islands, including Rotuma, as well as blending with other (Polynesian) settlers on Tonga and Samoa. About half the population lives in urban areas. They were usually large double-hulled canoes, called a Drua (pronounced nDroo-ah), with each side being similar except one was shorter and served as a type of outrigger. He said: 'I recall with immense fondness my visit to Suva in 1970 when I represented Her Majesty the Queen at Fiji's independence ceremony. [citation needed], The Tabua is a much revered whale's tooth which is used in both public and private occasions or ceremonies. There is little intermarriage between ethnic communities. The Fijian traditions are centred around ceremonies and events, that bond the community. [citation needed]. Other significant denominations include the Roman Catholic Church (13.3%), the Assemblies of God (6.2%) and the Seventh-day Adventists (5.1%). There are minorities of part-Europeans, Chinese, and Pacific Islanders who have origins outside Fiji. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, Mahendra Choudhary, but a violent coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political and racial turmoil. Citizens of Fiji are referred to as "Fiji Islanders". Published: 00:26 GMT, 11 October 2020 | Updated: 12:40 GMT, 11 October 2020. [13] The election America and the world is watching grinds to a halt as Nevada and Arizona say they can't finish... Rishi Sunak faces fury over £40billion bailout U-turn: Chancellor extends 80 per cent furlough until MARCH... Statistics watchdog scolds Number 10 for lack of transparency over Covid-19 data used to justify second... London's second wave of coronavirus is SLOWING: Official data shows infections are falling in 19 of 32... Covid-19 cases are dropping in under-40s in England but still rising for older people, official data shows... Boris Johnson and NHS boss say Covid-19 hospitals admissions ARE rising quickly - despite experts claiming... 'Jobs have been lost for nothing!' So what IS essential? A controversial and racially divisive new constitution was adopted in 1990, and in 1992 the first general election was held under the auspices of the new constitution. [citation needed], Historically, Fijians were known as the canoe building experts of the Pacific, using them to trade with Tonga. However, after the government was overthrown in 1987, many Indians fled to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and Fijians regained a plurality. The first coup was bloodless, and the second coup severed ties with the British Monarchy. In 1987, two military coups were staged. For four decades after World War II, indigenous Fijians were outnumbered by Indians. The original settlers are now called "Lapita people" after a distinctive pottery produced locally. The disparities of income between urban and rural workers, contrasting lifestyles within the urban areas, and high urban unemployment can be seen as factors that have contributed to both an escalating rate of crime and the rapid growth of a trade union movement. Most people speak at least two languages, including English and the language of their own ethnic community. [12], Indigenous Fijians overwhelmingly report as being Christian, with the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma claiming the loyalty of 66.6% (1996 census). Re-elected in May 2006, Qarase was ousted in a military coup on 5 December that year, led by the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces(RFMF), Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, who initially appointed himself acting President, but in January 2007 assumed the position of interim Prime Minister, promising a return to democracy in the near future. Indigenous Fijians are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown. The effects of this immigration created an ethnic polarisation and rampant Anti-Indian sentiment, which has proven to be politically challenging to Fijian race relations. Australia has the largest Fijian expatriate population, according to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, while Fijians were also the fifth largest Pacific ethnic group living in New Zealand; a decrease of 8 percent between 1996 and 2001. While Suva has a very mixed population, the sugar-producing regions of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu have predominantly Indian populations. [9] Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was given a lifetime appointment on the council. The comments below have not been moderated. It's a real Chestburster! The Prince of Wales watched Fijian soldiers perform traditional dances and songs at Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to mark the 50th anniversary of the former crown colony becoming an independent country, Five fijians of The Black Watch, third Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland dressed in traditional skirts and shirts to perform the 'Lakalaka', Charles was presented with a whale tooth, known as a Tabua, a sacred Fijian cultural relic, by Sergeant Lawaci. A small number of Indians, particularly in commerce and in professions such as medicine and law, are descended from free migrants. From the early 19th century, both European and Chinese traders (dishsant visited Fiji for its sandalwood, hardwoods, beche-de-mer, marine life and, more recently, gold. Health food, stationery and DIY stores stay OPEN - as shoppers buy Christmas... Why the long face? The Raude is a fan dance which tells the story of an explorer on an expedition crossing the equator. The plant itself is also often referred to as yaqona or the kava plant. In fact, much to my delight, the brothers and sisters in Fiji, dark-skinned Black people who wore big natural type hairstyles, didn't merely identify themselves as Black but said that they came from Africa and said it with great pride! The Lapita people, named after their distinctive pottery style, were the first people to inhabit Fiji in about 3000 BCE, and evidence of their settlements exist throughout Fiji – particularly around the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. [10], About 86 percent of the land in Fiji is owned by indigenous Fijian people. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. If the proposal were adopted, all citizens of Fiji, whatever their ethnicity, would be called "Fijians". The latter were forced to leave their home island, Banaba, now part of Kiribati, after destruction during World War II made it uninhabitable. Indigenous Fijians are predominantly of Melanesian extraction, with some Polynesian admixture. Fijians (Fijian: iTaukei) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Indigenous Fijians make up more than half the population; about another two-fifths are people of Indian descent, most of whom are descendants of indentured labourers brought to work in the sugar industry. Only about 0.8% report as following non-Christian religions or no religion. The Prince of Wales watched Fijian soldiers perform traditional dances and songs to mark the 50th anniversary of the former crown colony becoming an independent country. At present, the word "Fijian" does not denote a nationality, and refers exclusively to indigenous Fijians.
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