Suva (Fiji) is the capital and largest city in the state. He received the status of the administrative center of the country in 1882. It is not surprising that all government bodies and headquarters of various international organizations are concentrated here. If you do not take into account Australia and New Zealand, the city has the largest agglomeration within Oceania.
Geographical position
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 southern 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 has a hilly terrain. From an administrative point of view, it is divided into five districts.
Short story
As of today, historians have no consensus on exactly when 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 tillage. In the seventeenth century the island was visited by Dutch explorers, 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 the 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 this status. From this moment to our time, the capital of Fiji is developing very dynamically. During the Second World War, the local port became the forefront 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 thousand islanders live along the highway leading to the 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 has grown significantly in the seventies of the last century. Then there was a real industrial and tourist boom. Due to the inability of the government to provide everyone with housing on the outskirts, a huge number of temporary villages appeared in which people live now.
About a third of the locals are descendants of slaves brought here during the British colonization to perform work on sugarcane plantations. Now between ethnic groups of Hindus and Fijians, frictions based on the struggle for economic and political power often arise, which sometimes even develop into ruthless civil clashes.
Modern Suva
Currently, the capital of Fiji is one of the busiest cities on the Pacific coast. In the business part, the presence of the British in the past is clearly visible, because it was during the colonization that many public and private structures were erected here. In the sixties of the last century, Suva significantly changed, due to the appearance of hotels and other, more modern buildings. The main disadvantage of the city are considered climatic conditions. The fact is that due to frequent rains, it is almost always wet and very dirty. Almost all local coastlines are ship marinas, so there are practically no civilized beaches on the island.
Tourist attraction
Despite the mentioned nuances related to the weather and the presence of beaches, the number of tourists coming here is constantly growing from year to year. Increasingly organized excursions in the city of Suva (Fiji) and the reviews of its visitors are further confirmation of this. Thanks to the numerous temples, mosques and small churches located here, it can be called a real cultural center, with the proper color and originality. The Fiji Museum is considered to be a rather popular attraction, which presents interesting anthropological exhibits of 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, erected at the beginning of the last century.
As shown by numerous reviews of tourists, the capital of Fiji is very interesting in terms of independent research. During hiking, you can look into a small coffee shop, green park or some inconspicuous museum. In such places, the local flavor is transmitted much better. The local central market and numerous shops selling various duty-free products and exotic fruits deserve special words.