Suva (Fiji) is the capital and largest city in the state. It received the status of the administrative center of the country in 1882. It is not surprising that all state governing bodies and the headquarters of various international organizations are concentrated here. Apart from Australia and New Zealand, the city has the largest agglomeration within Oceania.
Geographic location
The city of Suva (Fiji), whose coordinates are 18 degrees, 6 minutes south latitude and 178 degrees 26 minutes east longitude, is located in the South Pacific Ocean, on the southwestern coast of the island of Viti Levu. It is the largest among more than a hundred islands that are part of the state. It should be noted that the local port is considered one of the best in the region, so transatlantic ships and large transport ships come here. The area on which the city is located is distinguished by a hilly relief. From an administrative point of view, it is divided into five districts.
A Brief History
As of today, historians do not have a singleopinions about when exactly the current capital of Fiji was founded. Most of them agree that the first inhabitants appeared here a thousand years before our era. They were mainly engaged in pottery, animal husbandry and land cultivation. In the seventeenth century, Dutch explorers visited the island, and in 1874 the land became British property in the form of a colony. At that time, Suva was a small town with stone buildings made in the Victorian style. In the summer, they were buried in dust, and in winter, in mud. At that time, the local administrative center was the city of Levuka. When in 1882 it became clear that it could no longer expand, Suva received such a status. From that moment until our time, the capital of Fiji has been developing very dynamically. During the Second World War, the local port became the forward base of the British fleet, and at the beginning of the new millennium, the South Pacific Games were even held here.
Population
As noted above, the first settlements on the territory of the modern city of Suva appeared several thousand years ago. As of today, about 100 thousand inhabitants live in it. About 40,000 more islanders live along the highway leading to Nausori Airport. Its length is 25 kilometers. As for the ethnic composition of the population, in this regard, the capital of Fiji, Suva, is very heterogeneous. In particular, Fijians, Chinese, Indians, Europeans, as well as representatives of many other nationalities live here. The population increased significantly in the 1970s. Then there was a real industrial and tourist boom. Due to the inability of the government to provide housing for everyone, a huge number of temporary settlements appeared on the outskirts, in which people still live.
About a third of the locals are descendants of slaves brought here during the British colonization to work on sugar cane plantations. Tensions often arise between the ethnic groups of Hindus and Fijians, based on the struggle for economic and political power, which sometimes even develop into merciless civil clashes.
Modern Suva
Currently, the capital of Fiji is one of the busiest cities on the Pacific coast. In its business part, the presence of the British in the past is clearly visible, because it was during the colonization that many public and private buildings were erected here. In the sixties of the last century, Suva changed significantly, which is associated with the appearance of hotels and other more modern buildings. The main disadvantage of the city is the climatic conditions. The fact is that due to frequent rains, it is almost always wet and very dirty here. Almost all local coastlines are marinas, so there are practically no civilized beaches on the island.
Tourist attraction
Despitethe mentioned nuances related to the weather and the presence of beaches, the number of tourists coming here is steadily growing from year to year. Increasingly organized excursions in the city of Suva (Fiji) and the reviews of its visitors are another confirmation of this. Thanks to the numerous temples, mosques and small churches located here, it can be called a real cultural center, with proper color and originality. A fairly popular attraction is the Fiji Museum, which presents interesting anthropological exhibits from the entire region, as well as everything related to the history of the city. Mandatory visits are the buildings of the residence of the President of the country (built more than two hundred years ago), the Reserve Bank, the University, as well as the city library, built at the beginning of the last century.
As evidenced by numerous reviews of tourists, the capital of Fiji is very interesting in terms of self-study. While walking, you can look into a small coffee shop, a green park or some inconspicuous museum. In such places, the local color is transmitted much better. Separate words deserve the local central market and numerous shops that sell various duty-free products and exotic fruits.
