The flora is mostly of a tropical Indo-Malayan character-thick jungle with great trees swathed with creepers and epiphytes, but, especially on the western side, there is some intermixture of Australian and New Zealand types. On the lee side of the larger islands, however, the tree growth is often replaced by grassy plains, suitable for grazing, with trees (chiefly Pandanus) few and scattered in more open parts but more thickly clustered in the stream gullies. On the coastlands of the larger high island the coconut palm is ubiquitous in the drier parts, but is replaced in the damper parts by the mangrove. Many of these mangrove swamps have, however, been laboriously reclaimed, and now carry flourishing crops of sugar cane. At an elevation of about 2,000 ft. the vegetation changes to a more montane type, and at still higher elevation takes on the appearance of inter-tropical rain forest in the more densely tree-covered areas, while the drier and more open mountain-slopes are clothed in a dense growth of tall reeds. Many of the indigenous trees are of value, e.g., the vesi (Afzelia bijuga) and the ndilo (Calophyllum Inophyllum) for their timber, the last named also for the oil obtained from its seeds which is much used in the islands, as in India, in the treatment of rheuma tism ; the dakua (Dammara Vitiensis), a pine-tree allied to the New Zealand Kauri, provides a valuable resin resembling the Kaurigum. The yasi or sandalwood (Santalu, yasi, Seemann) for merly abundant on the north-west side of Vanua Levu was all but exterminated as a consequence of the too-busy trade carried on in this very valuable commodity between 1804 and 1816; in recent years this tree has been strictly protected by law, but though discovered in other parts of the Fiji neither in these nor in the original locality has it since again become abundant. It was mainly this mad rush for sandalwood which led to the earliest settlement of white men in the Fiji islands.
The fauna is very little different from that of the other com parable south sea islands. Indigenous mammals except bats, and possibly rats, though even these are probably no longer represented by an indigenous species, are non-existent ; birds, especially pi geons, doves and parrots, are, or were, fairly numerous; fish of many kinds are plentiful, and, together with vegetables, form the chief food of the natives; insects are not conspicuously abundant. It has already been told that the remarkable phenomenon of the periodical rise of the annelid known as balolo is mainly observable in Fiji.
The natives are undoubtedly of Melanesian stock, but more specialized than the other folk of the same original stock who entered the Pacific by way of the Solomon islands and the New Hebrides ; moreover there has been—though probably only in comparatively recent times—some intermixture of Polynesians from the Tonga or Friendly islands, especially in the Eastern or Lau group, and to a less extent in certain districts of both Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The sea channel, some 200 miles wide,
which separates the Fijian from the Tongan group served as a barrier between Melanesia and Polynesia where the two most nearly approached each other. The population in 1921 was 157,266, estimate (1933) 193,238, and the indigenous people (see MELA NESIA) now form slightly more than half the total, the principal other element being Indian coolies. Among the immigrant ele ments, who are largely labourers, it is natural that there should be an excess of men, but this excess occurs also among the native folk; it is held by many students that such an excess in an indige nous people is usually a sign of the decline of the race concerned. The transition from traditional to Europeanized life is a most com plex one involving myriad crises of adjustment, many unforeseen and almost unforeseeable, and there is besides a heavy toll to be paid by way of deaths from infectious diseases which may not do great harm in Europe but mow down peoples which have not acquired immunity. It is said that the intermingling of indigenous and Indian elements is slight.
For an account of the history of Fiji see separate article.
The archipelago is governed under the secretary of State for the British colonies by a governor who is helped by an executive of six members. There is also a legislative council of twelve nomi nated members (including one Indian), seven members elected by persons of European descent, and two nominated Fijians. There are seventeen provinces under native chiefs advised in some cases by European commissioners. The Wesleyan Methodist Churcla claims a very large number of members among the native popula tion but there are some Roman Catholics. The Indian element is Mohammedan or Hindu. There are numerous mission schools and government schools. The chief activity is agricultural and the crops grown for export are chiefly copra, sugar and bananas but rice, maize, rubber, tobacco, beans, etc., are also grown, and shells are an object of export trade. There are several sugar mills, copra dying establishments and sawmills. Fiji imports manufactured goods, flour, fuel, manures, timber and some of the meat it needs though cattle are kept in fair numbers.
Maritime communications are naturally of special importance in an archipelago but there is a small gauge railway, 120 m. long, from Tavua to Singatoka and motor roads and bridle paths are in use. There is telegraphic and telephonic communication and now also stations for wireless telegraphy. Cables go to Canada, Aus tralia and New Zealand, and steamship communications are chiefly with Vancouver, Sydney and Auckland. The 1925 trade figures were imports, L1,271,135, exports, L2,156,257. The tonnage entered and cleared in 1924 was a very large proportion being British. Money weights and measures are all as in the United Kingdom.