Fiji , officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited; in addition, there are some 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for some 87% of the total population. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is in turn derived from the Fijian name Viti.

However , a coup by indigenous Fijians in 1987, followed by a further coup in 2000, caused immense harm to the tourism industry and to Fiji’s international reputation. Rancour over the 2000 coup persists, with bitter divisions over a proposed bill that would give amnesties to those involved in it. Although the islands now enjoy reasonable stability, nothing has been done to address the underlying causes of Fiji’s political problems.

Fiji’s population, which resides mostly on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, is divided almost equally between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, the descendents of indentured laborers brought from India. Mixing between the two groups is minimal, and informal segregation runs deep at almost every level of society.

Despite the troubled past of the archipelago, Fijians are known as some of the friendliest people in the world. They are not judgmental of other people and will rarely express a negative opinion. Customs still prevail in the more traditional villages, especially those distant from towns and urban centers. And of course, Fiji is where the Cloud Breaker, the incredible six-meter wave was found offshore at Tavarua, a place which still draws surfers from around the world.