Fiji

More than 300 islands form the country of Fiji, one of the most developed economies in the Pacific.

At first the Europeans weren’t too keen on visiting the islands because of the cannibalism of the tribes (they even dubbed the islands Cannibal Isles). Eventually the Dutch settled there while they were on the neighborhood and some time later they gave it to the British, turning it into a colony.

Fiji got its independence in 1970. Since then, it has passed by a certain number of coups; the last one (in 2006) eventually triggered a constitutional crisis in 2009 regarding its legality. The country was suspended of the Commonwealth of Nations for this reason; that suspension wasn't lifted until 2014.

The Fijians speak English, Fijian (one of those Polynesian languages) and some sort of Hindi. Their favorite sport is rugby and their sources of economy are mainly tourism and sugar.

During the World War II, Fijian troops were part of the ANZAC forces.

One of the peculiarities of the country is one of the few rail networks in Oceania outside Australian and New Zealand soil. It is a purely cargo rail line, with a very narrow gauge.

Do not confuse with Fuji.

Fiji in fiction

 * It makes an indirect appearance in Cast Away. The movie was filmed on one of the small uninhabited volcanic isles of the country and is supposed to represent a fictional island south of the Cook islands.
 * It was the goal of Dave Lister in Red Dwarf to return to Earth and start a farm and/or diner on Fiji. Unfortunately, Fiji was underwater due to a volcanic eruption when he left Earth... and then after the accident on the Red Dwarf left him in cold sleep for three million years, he is both the last surviving human and impossibly far away from Earth to boot.  The theme music for this series is actually about his dreams of living on Fiji.