The name Fiji is a Tongan corruption of the indigenous name “Viti.” The Fiji Islands are arrayed in a horseshoe configuration with Viti Levu (great Fiji) and adjacent islands on the west, Vanua Levu (great land) and Taveuni to the north, and the Lau Group on the east. This upside-down U-shaped archipelago encloses the Koro Sea, which is relatively shallow and sprinkled with the Lomaiviti, or central Fiji, insular group. Together the Fiji Islands are scattered over 1,290,000 square km of the South Pacific Ocean.

If every single one was counted, the isles of the Fiji archipelago would number in the thousands. However, a mere 322 are judged large enough for human habitation and of these only 106 are inhabited. That leaves 216 uninhabited islands, most of them prohibitively isolated or lacking fresh water.

Most of the islands are volcanic, remnants of a sunken continent that stretched through Australia. This origin accounts for the mineral deposits on the main landmasses. None of Fiji’s volcanoes are presently active, though there are a few small hot springs. The two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, together account for 87% of Fiji’s 18,272 square km of land. Viti Levu has 50% of the land area and 75% of the people, while Vanua Levu, with 30% of the land, has 18% of the population. (View a detailed map of Fiji.)