Geography of Fiji#Ecology

{{Country geography

|name= Fiji

|map = FijiOMCmap.png

|continent =Pacific Ocean

|region = Oceania

|coordinates = {{coord|18|00|S|179|00|E|type:country}}

|area ranking = 151st

|km area = 18,272

|percent land = 100

|km coastline = 1,129

|borders = None

|highest point = Mount Tomanivi
{{convert|1324|m|feet}}

|lowest point = Pacific Ocean
0 m

|longest river =

|largest lake =

|exclusive economic zone = {{convert|1282978|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

}}

Image:Fiji and oceania.jpg

File:Fiji_topo.png

Fiji is an Oceanian archipelago of volcanic islands with two main islands in the South Pacific, lying about {{Convert|1770|km||abbr=on}} north of New Zealand and {{Convert|4450|km||round=5}} southwest of Honolulu. Of the 332 islands and 522 smaller islets making up the archipelago, about 106 are permanently inhabited.{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/fiji/ | title=Fiji | publisher=CIA | work=CIA World Factbook | access-date=28 December 2014}} The total land size is {{convert|18272|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. It has the 26th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of {{convert|1282978|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.

Viti Levu, the largest island, covers about 57% of the nation's land area, hosts the two official cities (the capital Suva, and Lautoka) and most other major towns, such as Nausori, Vaileka, Ba, Tavua, Kororvou, Nasinu, and Nadi (the site of the international airport), and contains some 69% of the population. Vanua Levu, {{Convert|64|km||abbr=on}} to the northeast of Viti Levu, covers just over 30% of the land area though is home to only some 15% of the population. Its main towns are Labasa and Savusavu. In the northeast it features Natewa Bay, carving out the Loa peninsula.

Both islands are mountainous, with peaks up to {{Convert|1300|m||abbr=on}} rising abruptly from the shore, and covered with tropical forests. Heavy rains (up to {{Convert|304|cm||abbr=in|disp=or}} annually) fall on the windward (southeastern) side, covering these sections of the islands with dense tropical forest. Lowlands on the western portions of each of the main islands are sheltered by the mountains and have a well-marked dry season favorable to crops such as sugarcane.

Other islands and island groups, which cover just 12.5% of the land area and house some 16% of the population, include Taveuni southeast off Vanua Levu and Kadavu Island, south off Viti Levu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just off Nadi) and Yasawa Group (to the north of the Mamanucas), which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group (just off Suva) with Levuka, the former capital and the only major town on any of the smaller islands, located on the island of Ovalau, and the remote Lau Group over the Koro Sea to the east near Tonga, from which it is separated by the Lakeba Passage.

Two outlying regions are Rotuma, {{Convert|400|km||abbr=on}} to the north, and the uninhabited coral atoll and cay Ceva-i-Ra or Conway Reef, {{Convert|450|km||abbr=on}} to the southwest of main Fiji. Culturally conservative Rotuma with its 2,000 people on {{Convert|44|km2||abbr=on}} geographically belongs to Polynesia, and enjoys relative autonomy as a Fijian dependency.

Fiji Television reported on 21 September 2006 that the Fiji Islands Maritime and Safety Administration (FIMSA), while reviewing its outdated maritime charts, had discovered the possibility that more islands could lie within Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

More than half of Fiji's population lives on the island coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centers. The interior is sparsely populated because of its rough terrain.

Statistics

; Location:

: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean; geographic coordinates:

: {{coord|18|00|S|179|00|E|type:country}}

; Map references:

: Oceania

; Area

:* Total: {{Convert|18274|km2||abbr=on}}

:* Land: {{Convert|18274|km2||abbr=on}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20090106140331/http://www.sopac.org./Fiji Fiji]. SOPAC – Applied Geoscience and Technology Division

:* Water: {{Convert|0|km2||abbr=on}}

; Area – comparative:

: Slightly smaller than New Jersey; slightly less than one third Nova Scotia's size; slightly smaller than Wales

; Land boundaries:

: {{Convert|0|km||abbr=on}}

; Coastline:

: {{Convert|1120|km||abbr=on}}

; Maritime claims

:* Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

:* Territorial sea: {{Convert|12|nmi||lk=in}}

:* Exclusive economic zone: {{convert|1282978|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. {{Convert|200|nmi||abbr=on}}

:* Continental shelf: {{Convert|200|m||abbr=on|adj=on}} depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added

; Terrain:

:* Mostly mountains of volcanic origin, beaches

:* A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 438 km² of tidal flats in Fiji, making it the 49th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8|url-access=subscription }}

; Elevation extremes

:* Lowest point: Pacific Ocean {{Convert|0|km||abbr=on}}

:* Highest point: Mount Tomanivi {{Convert|1324|m||0}}

; Natural resources:

: Timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

; Land use:

:* Arable land: 9.03%

:* Permanent crops: 4.65%

:* Other: 86.32% (2011)

; Irrigated land:

: {{Convert|30|km2||abbr=on}} (2003)

; Total renewable water resources:

: {{Convert|28.55|km3||abbr=on}} (2011)

; Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

:* total: {{Convert|0.08|km3/year|cumi/year|abbr=on}} (30%/11%/59%)

:* per capita: {{Convert|100.1|m3/year|cuyd/year|abbr=on}} (2005)

; Natural hazards:

: Cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

; Environment – current issues:

: Deforestation; soil erosion

; Environment – international agreements:

:* Party to: biodiversity, climate change-Kyoto Protocol, desertification, endangered species, law of the sea, marine life conservation, ozone layer protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, wetlands

:* Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

; Geography – note:

: Includes 322 islands and islets of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Climate

Fiji has a tropical rainforest climate and a tropical monsoon climate (Af and Am according to the Köppen climate classification). Suva, the capital city, receives more rainfall than Nadi or the other side of Viti Levu. El Niño and La Niña events have significant impacts on rainfall.{{cite report|title=Fiji Sugarcane Climate Outlook from May 2021 Planting & Harvesting Season |url=https://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/Climate_Products/April%202021sugarOut2021.04.23%2015.47.57.pdf |publisher=Fiji Meteorological Service |access-date=18 August 2022 |page=5}} Tropical cyclones can impact Fiji and in some cases they can cause severe damage and many deaths.{{Cite report|title=Republic of Fiji: Third National Communication Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Fiji_TNC%20Report.pdf |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |page=62|date=April 27, 2020|access-date=August 18, 2022}}{{Cite journal|title=Fiji's worst natural disaster: the 1931 hurricane and flood|volume=34|issue=3|pages=657–683|author=Yeo, Stephen W|journal=Disasters|author2=Blong, Russell J|year=2010 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01163.x|pmid=20298265 }} In 2016, Cyclone Winston caused widespread destruction and affected hundreds of thousands of people after striking Fiji.{{cite news|author=Nadia Khomami|newspaper=The Guardian|date=21 February 2016|access-date=21 February 2016|title= Cyclone Winston: Fiji counts deaths and damage from giant storm |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/20/cyclone-winston-virgin-australia-and-jetstar-cancel-services-to-and-from-fiji}}{{cite report|work=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|publisher=ReliefWeb|date=28 February 2016|access-date=28 February 2016|title=Fiji: Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston Situation Report No. 8 (as of 28 February 2016)|url=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_tc_winston_situation_report_8.pdf}} A few years later, Cyclone Harold also caused widespread damage.{{Cite web|title=Pacific Humanitarian Team - Tropical Cyclone Harold Situation Report #9, 21 April 2020|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/PHT%20Sitrep%209_TC%20Harold_21042020.pdf|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=April 22, 2020}}

Climate change in Fiji is an exceptionally pressing issue for the country – as an island nation, Fiji is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather.{{cite web |last1=COP23 |title=How Fiji is Affected by Climate Change |url=https://cop23.com.fj/fiji-and-the-pacific/how-fiji-is-affected-by-climate-change/ |website=Cop23 |access-date=5 September 2022 |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828143019/https://cop23.com.fj/fiji-and-the-pacific/how-fiji-is-affected-by-climate-change/ |url-status=dead }} These changes, along with temperature rise, will displace Fijian communities and will prove disruptive to the national economy – tourism, agriculture and fisheries, the largest contributors to the nation's GDP, will be severely impacted by climate change causing increases in poverty and food insecurity. As a party to both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement, Fiji hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 which, along with national policies, will help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.{{cite web |last1=UN Climate Change News |title=Fiji Submits Long-Term National Climate Plan |url=https://unfccc.int/news/fiji-submits-long-term-national-climate-plan |website=unfccc.int |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |access-date=17 July 2021 |date=5 March 2019}}

{{Weather box

|location = Suva (Köppen Af)

|width = auto

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high C = 35.0

|Feb record high C = 36.0

|Mar record high C = 37.0

|Apr record high C = 34.0

|May record high C = 34.0

|Jun record high C = 32.0

|Jul record high C = 32.0

|Aug record high C = 32.0

|Sep record high C = 32.0

|Oct record high C = 34.0

|Nov record high C = 34.0

|Dec record high C = 36.0

|year record high C = 37.0

|Jan high C = 30.8

|Feb high C = 31.2

|Mar high C = 30.9

|Apr high C = 29.9

|May high C = 28.5

|Jun high C = 27.7

|Jul high C = 26.8

|Aug high C = 26.7

|Sep high C = 27.2

|Oct high C = 28.2

|Nov high C = 29.3

|Dec high C = 30.3

|year high C = 28.9

|Jan mean C = 27.4

|Feb mean C = 27.6

|Mar mean C = 26.4

|Apr mean C = 26.6

|May mean C = 25.4

|Jun mean C = 24.6

|Jul mean C = 23.8

|Aug mean C = 23.7

|Sep mean C = 24.1

|Oct mean C = 25.1

|Nov mean C = 26.1

|Dec mean C = 26.9

|Jan low C = 23.9

|Feb low C = 24.0

|Mar low C = 23.9

|Apr low C = 23.3

|May low C = 22.2

|Jun low C = 21.4

|Jul low C = 20.7

|Aug low C = 20.7

|Sep low C = 21.0

|Oct low C = 21.9

|Nov low C = 22.8

|Dec low C = 23.5

|year low C = 22.4

|Jan record low C = 19.0

|Feb record low C = 19.0

|Mar record low C = 19.0

|Apr record low C = 16.0

|May record low C = 16.0

|Jun record low C = 14.0

|Jul record low C = 13.0

|Aug record low C = 14.0

|Sep record low C = 14.0

|Oct record low C = 14.0

|Nov record low C = 13.0

|Dec record low C = 17.0

|year record low C = 13.0

|rain colour =green

|Jan rain mm = 371

|Feb rain mm = 265

|Mar rain mm = 374

|Apr rain mm = 366

|May rain mm = 270

|Jun rain mm = 163

|Jul rain mm = 136

|Aug rain mm = 158

|Sep rain mm = 177

|Oct rain mm = 221

|Nov rain mm = 245

|Dec rain mm = 277

|year rain mm = 3023

|Jan precipitation days = 23

|Feb precipitation days = 22

|Mar precipitation days = 24

|Apr precipitation days = 23

|May precipitation days = 21

|Jun precipitation days = 18

|Jul precipitation days = 19

|Aug precipitation days = 18

|Sep precipitation days = 17

|Oct precipitation days = 19

|Nov precipitation days = 19

|Dec precipitation days = 22

|source 1 = http://www.met.gov.fj/ClimateofFiji.pdf

}}

{{Weather box

|location = Nadi (Köppen Am)

|width = auto

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high C = 36.7

|Feb record high C = 35.4

|Mar record high C = 35.0

|Apr record high C = 34.3

|May record high C = 33.9

|Jun record high C = 33.5

|Jul record high C = 32.9

|Aug record high C = 34.3

|Sep record high C = 34.0

|Oct record high C = 34.6

|Nov record high C = 36.3

|Dec record high C = 35.9

|year record high C = 36.7

|Jan high C = 31.6

|Feb high C = 31.5

|Mar high C = 31.1

|Apr high C = 30.7

|May high C = 29.7

|Jun high C = 29.2

|Jul high C = 28.5

|Aug high C = 28.7

|Sep high C = 29.4

|Oct high C = 30.2

|Nov high C = 30.9

|Dec high C = 31.4

|year high C = 30.2

|Jan mean C = 27.1

|Feb mean C = 27.2

|Mar mean C = 26.9

|Apr mean C = 26.2

|May mean C = 24.9

|Jun mean C = 24.2

|Jul mean C = 23.4

|Aug mean C = 23.6

|Sep mean C = 24.4

|Oct mean C = 25.3

|Nov mean C = 26.2

|Dec mean C = 26.7

|year mean C = 25.5

|Jan low C = 22.7

|Feb low C = 22.9

|Mar low C = 22.6

|Apr low C = 21.7

|May low C = 20.1

|Jun low C = 19.3

|Jul low C = 18.3

|Aug low C = 18.4

|Sep low C = 19.3

|Oct low C = 20.4

|Nov low C = 21.5

|Dec low C = 22.1

|year low C = 20.8

|Jan record low C = 19.0

|Feb record low C = 18.3

|Mar record low C = 17.7

|Apr record low C = 16.2

|May record low C = 14.0

|Jun record low C = 13.6

|Jul record low C = 11.7

|Aug record low C = 11.3

|Sep record low C = 13.3

|Oct record low C = 14.4

|Nov record low C = 15.1

|Dec record low C = 17.2

|year record low C = 11.3

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 300

|Feb rain mm = 303

|Mar rain mm = 324

|Apr rain mm = 173

|May rain mm = 80

|Jun rain mm = 62

|Jul rain mm = 47

|Aug rain mm = 59

|Sep rain mm = 77

|Oct rain mm = 103

|Nov rain mm = 139

|Dec rain mm = 159

|year rain mm = 1826

|unit rain days = 1.0 mm

|Jan rain days = 14

|Feb rain days = 15

|Mar rain days = 16

|Apr rain days = 9

|May rain days = 6

|Jun rain days = 5

|Jul rain days = 4

|Aug rain days = 4

|Sep rain days = 5

|Oct rain days = 7

|Nov rain days = 9

|Dec rain days = 11

|year rain days = 105

|Jan humidity = 81

|Feb humidity = 82

|Mar humidity = 84

|Apr humidity = 82

|May humidity = 80

|Jun humidity = 79

|Jul humidity = 76

|Aug humidity = 75

|Sep humidity = 74

|Oct humidity = 75

|Nov humidity = 76

|Dec humidity = 78

|year humidity = 78

|Jan sun = 213.5

|Feb sun = 182.4

|Mar sun = 190.1

|Apr sun = 197.8

|May sun = 212.0

|Jun sun = 206.0

|Jul sun = 218.1

|Aug sun = 231.0

|Sep sun = 214.6

|Oct sun = 226.6

|Nov sun = 221.5

|Dec sun = 225.4

|year sun = 2539.0

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__V/EJ/91680.TXT

| title = Nandi Climate Normals 1961–1990

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026053106/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__V/EJ/91680.TXT

| archive-date = 2020-10-26

| url-status = dead

| access-date = 24 March 2015}}

|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (precipitation days, 1968–1990 and humidity, 1962–1990)

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_916800_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Nandi (Int. Flugh.) / Viti Levu / Fidschi

| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 22 November 2016}}

|date=December 2011}}

Tectonics

Fiji is located on the northeast corner of the Indo-Australian plate near where it subducts under the Pacific plate on the North Fiji Basin microplate between the North Fiji Fracture Zone on the north and the Hunter fracture zone on the south. It is part of the Ring of Fire, the string of volcanoes around the boundary of the Pacific Ocean.{{cite book|title=Tectonics, Magmatism, and Evolution of the New Hebrides Backarc Troughs (Southwest Pacific)|author=Patrick Maillet, Etienne Ruellan, Martine Gérard, Alain Person, Hervé Bellon, Joseph Cotten, Jean-Louis Joron, Setsuya Nakada, and Richard C.Price|publisher=Plenum Press|date=1995-10-09|citeseerx=10.1.1.604.4184 }}

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Fiji, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

Northernmost point – Uea Island, Rotuma, Eastern Division
Easternmost point – Vatoa Island, Eastern Division
Southernmost point – Ceva-i-Ra island, Western Division
Westernmost point – Viwa Island, Western Division

Ecology

{{see also|Fiji tropical moist forests|Fiji tropical dry forests}}

Fiji has more than three hundred islands, four of which are of a significant size. From largest to smallest, these four islands are Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kadavu Island, and Taveuni Island. The Fiji islands are home to numerous indigenous flora and fauna. These include:

Fiji once hosted several now-extinct Pleistocene and Holocene species, including a large crocodilian of the genus Volia, which was likely the apex predator of its environment. Other notable extinct species include Lapitiguana impensa, a giant iguana, as well as the flightless Viti Levu giant pigeon.

{{see also|List of birds of Fiji|List of endemic plants of Fiji}}