Oceania · The modern island states
Fiji
from 1970
Fiji gained independence from Britain on 10 October 1970, with Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as founding prime minister. Its modern politics have been shaped by tension between Indigenous iTaukei Fijians and Indo-Fijians (descendants of indentured laborers).
- Existed
- from 1970
- Shown on the map
- 1973–2024
- Peak area
- 22k km²
- Region
- Oceania
Overview
Fiji gained independence from Britain on 10 October 1970, with Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as founding prime minister. Its modern politics have been shaped by tension between Indigenous iTaukei Fijians and Indo-Fijians (descendants of indentured laborers). Sitiveni Rabuka led two military coups in 1987, after which Fiji became a republic; a further civilian-backed coup came in 2000 (George Speight), and in 2006 Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power, ruling until 2022 (from 2014 as elected PM).
Later history and present status
In the December 2022 election, no party won a majority; Rabuka's People's Alliance formed a tripartite coalition (with the NFP and SODELPA) and he became prime minister on 24 December 2022, defeating Bainimarama by a single vote (28–27). The current prime minister is Sitiveni Rabuka; the president since 12 November 2024 is Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu. In 2025 Rabuka deferred long-promised municipal elections (citing "global headwinds" and "voter fatigue") and floated a referendum on the 2013 Constitution. The next general election is due between 7 August 2026 and 6 February 2027 — a period of live political maneuvering.
Common questions
- What was Fiji?
- Fiji gained independence from Britain on 10 October 1970, with Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as founding prime minister. Its modern politics have been shaped by tension between Indigenous iTaukei Fijians and Indo-Fijians (descendants of indentured laborers).
- When did Fiji exist?
- Fiji existed from 1970. On this map it is drawn 1973–2024.
- How large was Fiji?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Fiji covered about 22,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- What is the present status of Fiji?
- In the December 2022 election, no party won a majority; Rabuka's People's Alliance formed a tripartite coalition (with the NFP and SODELPA) and he became prime minister on 24 December 2022, defeating Bainimarama by a single vote (28–27). The current prime minister is Sitiveni Rabuka; the president since 12 November 2024 is Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia article for each polity and its key rulers as the basis of these profiles, supplemented by Encyclopaedia Britannica, the World History Encyclopedia, museum and UN sources, Pacific news organisations, and the scholarship of Ricklefs, Andaya, Coedès, Carey, Sri Margana and Smith & Smith. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Fiji en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
See Fiji in its world
Open the atlas at 1999 and every neighbour, rival and successor is on screen with it — then drag the slider and watch what happens next.
Open the map at 1999 →