Learning About Suva, Fiji

Suva is Fiji's capital city. Suva, Fiji is located on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu island in the administrative centre of Central Fiji. Suva, Fiji became the capital city in 1877. The 1996 showed Suva, Fiji had a population of more than 70,000 with the Greater Suva, including independent suburban areas, having a population of more than 100, 000.

Suva, Fiji is the business and political center of the island nation of Fiji. It is the main gateway to Fiji and, in the South Pacific, has the largest urban area excluding New Zealand and Australia. Suva, Fiji lies on a peninsula and the sea almost completely borders its land. The nearest beach to Suva, Fiji is 25 miles from Pacific Harbor. Dense mangroves surround its coast. Suva, Fiji receives a considerable amount of rainfall each year compared to Nadi and cities in the west part Viti Levu.

A famous landmark in Suva, Fiji is Suva Central, the tallest building in Fiji, completed just recently and stands 81 feet high. It is in fact the tallest building in the entire Pacific Islands. The Suva City Library is another well-known city landmark, built in the early 1900s through the financial aid of Andrew Carnegie, a steel business tycoon.

The Government complex of Fiji lies in a reclaimed swamp. The construction of the buildings started in 1935. It was finished four years after in 1939 and then in 1967, they added a new wing to the building. The Parliament, however, is now located on a new building complex on Ratu Sukuna Road. Another important landmark in Suva, Fiji is the University of the South Pacific Suva campus, which is the largest of the University of the South Pacific campuses all throughout the region.

Also in Suva, Fiji is the Fiji Museum, which houses the largest collection of Fijian archeological, cultural and artistic artifacts. Suva, Fiji has over 70 parks including the Thurston Gardens where the Fiji Museum is located. The Apted Park at Suva Point is a popular site for sunrise and sunset viewing.

Suva, Fiji has a diverse race of people and culture. Its population is a mixture of native Fijians and Indo-Fijians, Fiji's two main ethnic groups comprising a huge percent of the city's population. Additionally, Suva, Fiji is also home to Caucasian and Chinese minorities as well as most expatriates working in the country. English is widely spoken but each community speaks their own respective languages, which include Fijian and Indian languages.