Fiji: Introduction

Fiji is a tropical island nation located in Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean and comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, 110 of which are permanently inhabited. Fiji is located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, and immediate neighbors include Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa. The government system is a republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Fiji has a mixed economy which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.