The capital of Fiji Suva: coordinates, excursions and reviews

Suva (Fiji) is the capital and the largest city on the territory of the state. The status of the administrative center of the country he received in 1882. It is not surprising that all government bodies and headquarters of various international organizations are concentrated here. If you do not take into account Australia and New Zealand, the city has the largest agglomeration within Oceania.

Geographical position

The city of Suva (Fiji), whose coordinates are 18 degrees, 6 minutes south latitude and 178 degrees 26 minutes east, is located in the South Pacific, on the south-western coast of the island of Viti Levu. It is the largest among more than a hundred islands that are part of the state. It should be noted that the local port is considered to be one of the best in the region, therefore, transatlantic vessels and large transport ships come here. The terrain on which the city is located is characterized by hilly terrain. From an administrative point of view, it is divided into five districts.

Short story

As of today, historians do not agree on when the present capital of Fiji was founded. Most of them converge on the fact that the first inhabitants here appeared a thousand years before our era. They were mainly engaged in pottery, animal breeding and cultivation of land. In the seventeenth century, the island was visited by Dutch explorers, and in 1874 the lands were transferred to British property in the form of a colony. At that time, Suva was a small town with stone buildings, made in a Victorian style. In the summer they were drowned in the dust, and in winter - in the mud. At that time the local administrative center was the town of Levuk. When in 1882 it became clear that he could no longer expand, this status was given to Suva. Starting from this moment and up to our time, the capital of Fiji is developing very dynamically. During the Second World War, the local port became the foremost base of the British fleet, and at the beginning of the new millennium, even South Pacific games were held here.

Population

As already noted above, the first settlements on the territory of the modern city of Suva appeared several thousand years ago. As of today, it has about 100 thousand inhabitants. Another 40,000 islanders live along the motorway leading to Naousori Airport. Its length is 25 kilometers. As for the ethnic composition of the population, in this respect the capital of Fiji Suva is very heterogeneous. In particular, there live the Fijians, Chinese, Hindus, Europeans, as well as representatives of many other nationalities. The population grew significantly in the seventies of the last century. Then here there was a real industrial and tourist boom. Due to the inability of the government to provide all the housing on the outskirts, a huge number of temporary settlements have appeared, in which people now live.

About a third of the local residents are descendants of slaves brought here during the British colonization for work on plantations for growing sugar cane. Now between the ethnic groups of Hindus and Fijians often arise based on the struggle for economic and political power of friction, which sometimes even grow into ruthless civil clashes.

Modern Suva

Currently, the capital of Fiji is one of the busiest cities on the Pacific coast. In its business part clearly visible presence in the past of the British, because it was during the colonization here were built many public and private buildings. In the sixties of last century, Suva has significantly changed, which is associated with the emergence of hotels and other more modern buildings. The main disadvantage of the city is considered climatic conditions. The fact is that because of frequent rains here it is almost always wet and very dirty. Almost all local coastlines are piers of ships, so there are practically no civilized beaches on the island.

Tourist attraction

Despite the above-mentioned nuances associated with the weather and the availability of beaches, the number of tourists coming here invariably grows from year to year. More and more organized in the city of Suva (Fiji) excursions and reviews of its visitors are an additional confirmation. Thanks to the numerous temples, mosques and small churches located here, it can be called a true cultural center, with proper color and originality. A fairly popular attraction is the Museum of Fiji, which presents interesting anthropological exhibits throughout the region, as well as everything that concerns the history of the city. Mandatory visits are the building of the residence of the President of the country (built more than two hundred years ago), the Reserve Bank, the University, as well as the city library, erected at the beginning of the last century.

As evidenced by numerous reviews of tourists, the capital of Fiji is very interesting and in terms of independent research. During hiking, you can look into a small coffee shop, a green park or some inconspicuous museum. In such places, the local color is much better. Separate words deserve the local central market and numerous shops in which various duty-free products and exotic fruits are sold.