The Republic of the Fiji Islands, or Fiji, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 844 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited; the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for some 87 percent of the total population. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is turn derived from the Fijian name Viti.
Fiji consists of 844 islands, of which 106 are inhabited. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1200 meters, and covered with tropical forests. Other important towns include Nadi, (the location of the international airport) and Lautoka. The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 500 kilometers north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.
