Geography of Fiji

Geography of Fiji

Continent	Pacific Ocean
Region	Oceania
Coordinates	18°00′S 179°00′E / 18.000°S 179.000°E / -18.000; 179.000
Area	Ranked 151st
• Total	18,272 km2 (7,055 sq mi)
• Land	100%
• Water	0%
Coastline	1,129 km (702 mi)
Borders	None
Highest point	Mount Tomanivi 1,324 metres (4,344 ft)
Lowest point	Pacific Ocean 0 m
Exclusive economic zone	1,282,978 km2 (495,361 sq mi)

Both islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) rising abruptly from the shore, and covered with

Location

Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean;

Geographic coordinates

:

18°00′S 179°00′E / 18.000°S 179.000°E / -18.000; 179.000

Map references

Oceania

Area

• Total: 18,274 km² (7,056 sq mi)
• Land: 18,274 km² (7,056 sq mi)^[2]
• Water: 0 km² (0 sq mi)

Area – comparative

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

Land boundaries

0 km (0 mi)

Coastline

1,120 km (700 mi)

Maritime claims

• Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
• Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi)
• Exclusive economic zone: 1,282,978 km² (495,361 sq mi). 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi)
• Continental shelf: 200 m (660 ft) 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 438km² of tidal flats in Fiji, making it the 49th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.^[3]

Elevation extremes

• Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 km (0 mi)
• Highest point: Mount Tomanivi 1,324 metres (4,344 ft)

Natural resources

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

Land use

• Arable land: 9.03%
• Permanent crops: 4.65%
• Other: 86.32% (2011)

Natural hazards

Cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Environment – current issues

Deforestation; soil erosion

Environment – international agreements

• Party to:
  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.^[4] Tropical cyclones can impact Fiji and in some cases they can cause severe damage and many deaths.^[5][6] In 2016, Cyclone Winston caused widespread destruction and affected hundreds of thousands of people after striking Fiji.^[7][8] A few years later, Cyclone Harold also caused widespread damage.^[9]

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.^[14]

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

• Brachylophus bulabula
• Fiji banded iguana
• Fiji crested iguana

Fiji once hosted several extinct species from the Pleistocene and Holocene, including Volia, a large Mekosuchian crocodile which was likely the apex predator of its environment. Other notable extinct species include Lapitiguana, a giant species of Iguana, as well as the flightless Viti Levu giant pigeon.

References