Pacific Islands: Fiji Solomon Islands Western Samoa Vanuatu Tonga
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COUNTRY PROFILE Pacific Islands: Fiji Solomon Islands Western Samoa Vanuatu Tonga Our quarterly Country Report, Pacific Islands: Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, analyses current trends. This annual Country Profile provides background political and economic information about Fiji, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and some of the smaller territories. Papua New Guinea has a separate Country Profile of its own. 1996-97 The Economist Intelligence Unit 15 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR United Kingdom The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders. For over 40 years it has been a source of information on business developments, economic and political trends, government regulations and corporate practice worldwide. The EIU delivers its information in four ways: through subscription products ranging from newsletters to annual reference works; through specific research reports, whether for general release or for particular clients; through electronic publishing; and by organising conferences and roundtables. The firm is a member of The Economist Group. London New York Hong Kong The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit 15 Regent Street The Economist Building 25/F, Dah Sing Financial Centre London 111 West 57th Street 108 Gloucester Road SW1Y 4LR New York Wanchai United Kingdom NY 10019, USA Hong Kong Tel: (44.171) 830 1000 Tel: (1.212) 554 0600 Tel: (852) 2802 7288 Fax: (44.171) 499 9767 Fax: (1.212) 586 1181/2 Fax: (852) 2802 7638 Electronic delivery EIU Electronic Publishing New York: Lou Celi or Lisa Hennessey Tel: (1.212) 554 0600 Fax: (1.212) 586 0248 London: Moya Veitch Tel: (44.171) 830 1007 Fax: (44.171) 830 1023 This publication is available on the following electronic and other media: Online databases CD-ROM Microfilm FT Profile (UK) Knight-Ridder Information World Microfilms Publications (UK) Tel: (44.171) 825 8000 Inc (USA) Tel: (44.171) 266 2202 DIALOG (USA) SilverPlatter (USA) University Microfilms Inc (USA) Tel: (1.415) 254 7000 Tel: (1.800) 521 0600 LEXIS-NEXIS (USA) Tel: (1.800) 227 4908 Copyright © 1996 The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. All information in this report is verified to the best of the author’s and the publisher’s ability. However, the EIU does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on it. ISSN 0269-8080 Symbols for tables “n/a” means not available; “–” means not applicable Printed and distributed by Redhouse Press Ltd, Unit 151, Dartford Trade Park, Dartford, Kent DA1 1QB, UK 1 Contents August 1996 Fiji 6 Basic data 7 Political background 13 Population and society 15 Currency 16 The economy 17 National accounts 19 Employment 20 Wages and prices 21 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 24 Mining 25 Energy 26 Manufacturing 27 Construction 27 Tourism and other services 29 Transport and communications 30 Finance 33 Foreign trade 34 External payments and debt Solomon Islands 38 Basic data 39 Political background 41 Population and society 42 The economy 42 Currency 43 National accounts 44 Employment 45 Wages and prices 46 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 49 Minerals 49 Energy 50 Manufacturing 51 Construction 51 Tourism 52 Transport and communications 53 Finance 55 Foreign trade 56 External payments and debt EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 2 Western Samoa 60 Basic data 61 Political background 62 Population and society 63 Currency 63 The economy 66 National accounts 67 Employment 67 Prices 68 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 69 Mining and energy 69 Manufacturing 70 Construction 70 Tourism 71 Transport and communications 72 Finance 73 Foreign trade 73 External payments and debt Vanuatu 77 Basic data 78 Political background 80 Population and society 81 Currency 81 The economy 82 National accounts 83 Employment 84 Wages and prices 84 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 86 Mining 86 Energy 87 Manufacturing 87 Tourism 88 Transport and communications 89 Finance 90 Foreign trade 92 External payments and debt Tonga 95 Basic data 96 Political background 97 Population and society 98 Currency 98 The economy EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 3 98 National accounts 99 Employment 99 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 100 Mining 101 Energy 101 Manufacturing 102 Construction 102 Tourism 102 Transport and communications 103 Finance 104 Foreign trade 105 External payments and debt 108 New Caledonia 108 Basic data 109 Political background 110 Population and society 110 Currency 110 The economy 111 National accounts 112 Prices 112 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 112 Mining 113 Manufacturing 113 Tourism 114 Transport and communications 114 Finance 114 Foreign trade Cook Islands 116 Basic data 117 Political background 118 Population and society 118 Currency 118 The economy 118 National accounts 119 Employment 119 Wages and prices 120 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 121 Mining 121 Energy 121 Manufacturing 122 Construction 122 Tourism 122 Transport and communications 123 Finance 124 Foreign trade EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 4 Kiribati 125 Basic data 126 Political background 127 Population and society 127 Currency 128 The economy 128 National accounts 129 Employment 129 Prices 129 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 130 Mining 131 Manufacturing 131 Construction 131 Tourism and other services 131 Transport and communications 132 Finance 132 Foreign trade and external payments Nauru 135 Basic data 136 Political background 137 Population and society 137 Currency 137 The economy and national accounts 138 Employment 138 Wages and prices 138 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 138 Mining 139 Energy 139 Manufacturing and construction 139 Tourism and other services 139 Transport and communications 140 Finance 140 Foreign trade, external payments and debt Niue 141 Basic data 142 Political background 142 Population and society 142 Currency 142 The economy and employment 143 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 143 Manufacturing 143 Tourism EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 5 143 Transport and communications 144 Finance 144 Foreign trade Tuvalu 145 Basic data 146 Political background 146 Population and society 146 Currency 147 The economy and national accounts 147 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 148 Mining 148 Energy 148 Manufacturing and construction 148 Tourism 149 Transport and communications 149 Finance 150 Foreign trade and external payments Former US Trust Territories 151 Basic data (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau) 152 Political background 153 Population and society 153 Currency 154 The economy 155 Transport 156 Regional institutions 159 Membership of international organisations 160 Select bibliography EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 6 Fiji Fiji Basic data Land area 18,333 sq km Population 715,375 (1986 census); 796,078 (official end-1995 estimate) Major islands Viti Levu, Vanua Levu Main towns Population, 1986 Suva (capital) 69,665 Lautoka 27,728 Climate Tropical Weather in Suva Hottest months, January-March, 23-30°C (average daily minimum and (altitude 6 metres) maximum); coldest months, July-August, 20-26°C; driest month, July, 124 mm average rainfall; wettest month, March, 368 mm average rainfall Languages English, Fijian and Hindi Measures Metric Currency Dollar=100 cents. Exchange rate average 1995: F$1.4063:US$1. Exchange rate end-July, 1996: FS$1.3976:US$1 Time 12 hours ahead of GMT Public holidays May 27, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day; June 17, Queen’s Official Birthday; July 22, Constitution Day; July 29, Birth of the Prophet Muhammad; October 7, Fiji Day; November 11, Diwali; December 25-26, Christmas; January 1, 1997, New Year’s Day; March 14, National Youth Day; March 28-31, Easter EIU Country Profile 1996-97 © The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 1996 Fiji 7 Political background History Archaeological evidence indicates that the Fijian Islands have been settled for at least the last 3,000 years, originally by Melanesian and Polynesian peoples. Tasman sighted the islands in 1643, as did Cook and Bligh in 1774 and 1789. In the first half of the 19th century the islands became subject to increasing European influences as the islands’ sandalwood and bêche de mer resources attracted European traders. Christian missionaries soon followed. At this time, the islands were dominated by warring tribal factions. By the 1850s these had coalesced into two main factions under Cakobau, Tiu Viti (king of Fiji), and Ma’afu, a chief of Tongan extraction. It was the initiative of the Cakobau faction to cede the islands to Britain, which brought Fiji into the British empire as a colony on October 10, 1874. The island of Rotuma, which lies to the north of Vanua Levu, was added to the territory in 1881. The islands remained under colonial rule until independence on October 10, 1970. Many decisions taken during the colonial period still have repercussions for Fiji today. In particular, the decision to bring indentured labour over from India and the subsequent