fiji-facts© FijiPocketGuide.com
fiji-facts

13 Fun Facts About Fiji

© FijiPocketGuide.com

Fun Fiji Facts!

Why is this article needed? It’s not! But who doesn’t like a good fact? If you’re planning a trip to the beautiful islands of Fiji, then you might want to learn a little bit more about it. So while these might not be the most useful facts about Fiji, they are, in our opinion, the most fun!

1. In Fiji, You Can Time Travel…

No, we’re not talking about visiting historical places or relaxing so much that time seems to stop… The island of Taveuni just happens to sit right on the International Dateline! There is even a commemorative information sign and line marked on the floor where you can stand with one foot in today and the other foot in yesterday. But don’t worry, all the islands in Fiji still follow the same time zone.

© FijiPocketGuide.com

2. Spellings and Pronunciations are a Little Different

Don’t be fooled by the spellings! There are some unpredictable pronunciations in the Fijian language to those new to the whole Fiji thing! For instance, “c” is actually pronounced “th”, so the word for good-bye, “moce” is actually pronounced “mothe” and the “Mamanuca Islands” sound more like the “Mamanutha Islands”. The list of spelling and pronunciation quirks goes on, so check out 10 Fijian Words You Need to Know When Visiting Fiji!

© FijiPocketGuide.com

3. Fiji Spent 96 Years as Part of the British Empire

Fiji was a British colony between 1874 and 1970. Evidence of this colonisation is still evident in Fiji life today with the introduction of Christianity, the population of Indo-Fijians left after Indian labourers were used for the sugarcane trade, and driving on the left side of the road.

© Public Domain

4. “Bula” is the Most-Used Word in Fiji!

You will hear it hundreds of times during a trip to Fiji! To be fair, “Bula” means just about everything from “hello” to “cheers” to “life”.

© Chris McLennan - Tourism Fiji

5. Out of Fiji’s 333 Islands, Only 110 are Inhabited

Fiji consists of 333 islands and 500 smaller islets but only about 110 of those islands are big enough to be inhabited by humans!

© Roderick Eime on Flickr

6. After Tourism, the Second Largest Industry is the Sugarcane Industry

Fiji, and especially the main island of Viti Levu, is packed with fields and fields of sugarcane. During the sugarcane season, October-December, small trains loaded with sugarcane can be seen chugging throughout the island.

© FijiPocketGuide.com

7. Jeff Probst Loves Fiji

Jeff Probst, the host of the hugely popular TV Show Survivor, loves Fiji! The islands are the most used location in the show and the host is on record saying that if he could shoot only in Fiji for the rest of the show’s life he would. Check out some other films and TV shows shot here.

© CBS

8. The Most Popular Sport in Fiji is Rugby

But not just any old rugby – rugby union to be precise! While Fiji’s national rugby team has competed in the Rugby World Cup multiple times, Fiji’s greatest success is winning the Rugby World Cup Sevens twice.

© Craig Boyd on Wikipedia

9. Only Four of Fiji’s Airports Have Paved Runways

Out of the 28 official airports in Fiji only four have paved runways. Zoiks! Check out the What Are the Airports in Fiji? for more information.

© Oliver Dixon on Geograph

10.”Fiji Time” is a Religion

Well, not technically, but you’ll be surprised by how much Fijians seriously live their lives on “Fiji Time” like it’s a religion. Fiji time is a way of life where conventional time has no meaning. Things will happen or get done eventually (or not at all) – that’s why so many people come to Fiji to simply relax. Still confused? Take a look at What Does Fiji Time Mean? (& What You Need to Know About It)?

© FijiPocketGuide.com

11. To Declare War, Just Touch Someone’s Head

It is best to avoid touching any Fijian’s head as, traditionally, this is a declaration of war and it is still not well regarded nowadays. Handshakes and hugs, on the other hand, are most welcome!

© Scott Akerman on Flickr

12. Fiji Has Over 6,400km2 of Coral Reef

… That’s 2,000miles squared! No wonder they call Fiji the “Soft Coral Capital of the World”. Needless to say, snorkelling and scuba diving is a must here, so jump over to the 10 Best Places to Scuba in Fiji.

© fijipcoketguide.com

13. “Fiji” is a Mishearing of a Mispronunciation

Fijians originally called their home “Viti”. When British explorer, Captain Cook, asked Tongan invaders in Fiji what the islands were called, their accent made it sound like “Viti” was “Feegee” to an Englishman. So eventually, to Europeans, the islands became known as Fiji.

© Pxhere

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Fiji Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Was this article useful?

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter