Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1,100 nautical miles north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited—and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The most outlying island group is Ono-i-Lau. About 87% of the total population of 924,610 live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts: either in the capital city of Suva; or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi—where tourism is the major local industry; or in Lautoka, where the sugar-cane industry is dominant. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely inhabited because of its terrain.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, was a Fijian politician, who served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992. He subsequently served as President from 1993 to 2000.
Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau was a Fijian politician who served as the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993. He had previously served as Governor-General of Fiji, representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Fiji, from 12 February 1983 to 15 October 1987.
Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka is a Fijian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Minister of Fiji, serving from 1992 to 1999, and again in 2022, leading a three-party coalition. He also served as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001, and later as Chairman of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council from 2001 to 2008.
Naitasiri is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji and one of eight located on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.
Michael Reynolds, CBE, AM is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1998 to 2009, representing the district of Townsville. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 2006 to 2009.
Suva Grammar School is a secondary school in Suva, Fiji. The school caters 6 streams for Forms 3(year 9) to 6(year 12) and 4 streams for Form 7(year 13). Suva Grammar has a school population of approximately 1800 students. The school is in a location near the heart of the city and by the seaside. They are known to be very competitive in sports particularly in athletics at secondary school level during the annual Coca-Cola games & in the local secondary school's rugby union competition, the annual Dean's Trophy, against rival competitors Marist Brothers High School, QVS, Lelean Memorial School and RKS and other sports including Basketball, Netball, Swimming, and Cricket.
Donald James Grimes was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Tasmania from 1974 to 1987, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). In the Hawke government he held ministerial office as Minister for Social Security (1983–1984) and Minister for Community Services (1984–1987). He was a general practitioner before entering politics.
Fiji National University is a public university in Fiji that was formally constituted on 15 February 2010 by the Fiji National University Act 2009.
Lelean Memorial School is one of the largest co-ed schools in Fiji. It was established in 1943 and is run by the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. It is co-located at the Davuilevu Methodist Compound with the Davuilevu Theological College and the Young People's Department, which runs training for Methodist catechists.
Željko Reiner is a Croatian physician, politician, university professor, member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and former Minister of Health and Social Welfare who served as the 10th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament since independence and the 20th speaker overall, from December 2015 until October 2016.
Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) on Funafuti atoll in Tuvalu is the only hospital in the country, and the primary provider of medical services for all the islands of Tuvalu. The hospital is located about 1.3 kilometres north from the centre of Funafuti on Fongafale islet.
Rajnikant Shankarrao Arole was born in Supa in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India on 10 July 1934, the second child of Shankar and Leelawati Salve Arole. His parents were both schoolteachers and his father became Inspector of Schools. The Aroles raised their three sons and four daughters in the faith of the Church of England, inculcating in them Christian ethical and spiritual values that have guided Rajnikant through a lifetime of public service.
Lt Col Pio Tikoduadua is a Fijian politician, cabinet Minister and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is the current President of the National Federation Party.
José F. Fabella was a Filipino physician and a public health advocate regarded in a biography as the "father of public health and social welfare in the Philippines."
Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji who served as Minister for Health and Medical Services in the FijiFirst government from 2018 to 2022. Before entering politics Dr Waqainabete was a general surgeon in Fiji and Associate Professor of General Surgery at Fiji National University, former President of the Fiji Medical Association, President of the Pacific Island Surgeons Association, and former Chairman of Fiji Medicinal Board. He was on leave from his academic and surgical duties to partake in the 2018 elections as a candidate for the Fiji First Party.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first case of the disease in Fiji was reported on 19 March 2020 in Lautoka. as of 3 January 2022, the country has had a total of 55,009 cases as of which 2,417 are currently active and 702 deaths, with cases reported on all divisions of the country. Apart from the COVID-19 deaths, 621 COVID-19 positive patients have died from pre-existing non-COVID-19 related illnesses. In March 2021, Fiji became the first Pacific island country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX initiative with frontline workers and first responders the first to be vaccinated. As of 2 January 2022, more than 600,000 (98%) Fijians have received their first jab of the vaccine and almost 560,000 (92%) Fijians have received their second jab and are fully vaccinated. To date, only the AstraZeneca vaccine, Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine have been deployed in the country. The country have also administered booster shots. Vaccination is mandated, however only to the adult population.
James Fong is a Fijian obstetrician-gynaecologist who serves as the Permanent Secretary (PS) for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MOHMS).
Ian Ambury Miller Prior was a New Zealand doctor, epidemiologist, environmental campaigner and arts patron. He is acknowledged as the founder of epidemiology in New Zealand. He conducted pioneering epidemiological studies of Māori, Cook Islanders and Tokelau Islanders in the 1960s. He was active in a number of environmental campaigns including the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, and was well known for his support of the arts, in particular the Wellington Sculpture Trust.
Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu is a Fijian doctor, politician, and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the People's Alliance. He is the son of Speaker of Parliament and Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
