Fiji comprises 332 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, of which 110 are permanently inhabited. The archipelago sits at the crossroads of Melanesia and Polynesia, approximately 2,000 kilometers north of New Zealand and 3,000 kilometers southwest of Hawaii. Two islands dominate the geography and population: Viti Levu, the largest island at 10,429 square kilometers, contains approximately 70 percent of the national population, while Vanua Levu accounts for roughly 30 percent of the land area. The capital Suva sits on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu, functioning as the commercial and administrative center since 1882 when colonial authorities moved operations from Levuka on Ovalau Island. Mount Tomanivi rises to 1,324 meters on Viti Levu, representing the highest point in the nation. The Great Sea Reef extends along the northern coasts of Vanua Levu and surrounds the smaller islands in that region, measuring as the third longest barrier reef system globally after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
The population reached 896,444 according to the 2017 census. Indigenous Fijians, ethnically Melanesian with Polynesian admixture, constituted 56.8 percent of that count. Indo-Fijians, descendants of indentured laborers brought by the British colonial administration between 1879 and 1916, represented 37.5 percent. This demographic split defines contemporary Fiji more than any other single factor. The Indo-Fijian population has declined steadily since the 1987 coups, dropping from 48.6 percent in 1986 to 37.5 percent in 2017, primarily through emigration to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Smaller communities include Rotumans, a distinct Polynesian group from Rotuma island in the far north, who numbered 10,335 in 2017, as well as Europeans, part-Europeans, Chinese, and other Pacific Islander groups. English serves as the official language, while iTaukei (standard Fijian) and Fiji Hindi function as co-official languages. The linguistic division mirrors the ethnic one: iTaukei speakers and Fiji Hindi speakers often operate in separate social and economic spheres despite sharing national institutions.
Christianity dominates the religious landscape among indigenous Fijians, with 64.4 percent of the total population identifying as Christian in the 2007 census. Methodism claims the largest denomination, established by Wesleyan missionaries who arrived in 1835. The conversion of Ratu Cakobau, a powerful chief from Bau Island who styled himself as Tui Viti or King of Fiji, to Christianity in 1854 accelerated the spread of the faith throughout the islands. Hinduism accounts for 27.9 percent of the population, practiced almost exclusively by Indo-Fijians. Islam comprises 6.3 percent, likewise concentrated in the Indo-Fijian community. The religious division reinforces the ethnic one: indigenous Fijians identify strongly with Christian institutions, particularly the Methodist Church, while Indo-Fijians maintain Hindu temples and Muslim mosques. The Sri Siva Subramaniya temple in Nadi, completed in its current form in 1994, stands as the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring Dravidian architecture and functioning as a cultural anchor for the Indo-Fijian community.
Human settlement of Fiji occurred approximately 3,500 years ago by Austronesian-speaking peoples, part of the Lapita cultural complex that spread across the Pacific. Archaeological evidence places these first settlers as manufacturers of distinctive pottery with geometric designs, cultivators of taro and yams, and voyagers in double-hulled canoes. The ancestors of modern indigenous Fijians developed a hierarchical society organized around mataqali (clans), yavusa (tribes), and vanua (land areas with associated people and chiefs). Warfare formed a constant feature of pre-contact Fiji. Chiefs built fortified villages on hilltops and maintained warrior classes. Cannibalism occurred in ritual contexts, particularly following battles, documented extensively by European visitors in the 19th century. The practice ended in the 1850s and 1860s as Christian conversion spread.
Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted the northern islands in 1643 but did not land. Captain James Cook passed through in 1774. Captain William Bligh sailed through after the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, mapping parts of the eastern islands while in an open boat. Substantial European contact began in the early 19th century with sandalwood traders, followed by beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) traders supplying Chinese markets. Levuka on Ovalau Island emerged as the primary European settlement by the 1830s, attracting traders, deserters from whaling ships, and escaped convicts from Australia. The town earned a reputation for lawlessness. Wesleyan missionaries arrived in 1835, establishing their first successful station in 1839 after initial violent resistance.
Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau controlled Bau Island and surrounding territories in eastern Viti Levu during the mid-19th century.