The Indian Imperial Association of Fiji (I.I.A.) was active in Fiji during the last years of the indenture system, safeguarding the interests of and assisting in the improvement of the Indian community.
71-508: The original Association was established in 1911, following a severe hurricane that had brought much hardship to the Indians in the Central division, with the name British Indian Association of Fiji . It was formed by a group that included J.P. Maharaj (a Suva Storekeeper), Totaram Sanadhya (a pundit and social worker from Rewa ), Ram Singh (a Suva printer) and Ram Rup . The meeting
142-493: A lord mayor and a 20-member city council . The Suva City Council was the municipal law-making body of the city of Suva, Fiji's capital. It consisted of 20 councillors, elected for three-year terms from four multi-member constituencies, called wards. Councillors were elected by residents, landowners, and representatives of corporations owning or occupying taxable property in Suva councillors in turn elect, from among their own members,
213-677: A favoured interest in Bollywood by all, some prominent singers and actors have held shows in the capital which include singers like Shaan , Sonu Nigam , Sunidhi Chauhan and movie artists like Shah Rukh Khan , Priyanka Chopra , Johnny Lever , Dino Morea , Rajpal Yadav , Sunny Leone and the like. Suva offers a varied and interesting culinary experience where almost every if not all major cuisines are represented. Particularly popular cuisines are Fijian , Indian , Chinese , American and foods from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Fijians of Indian descent have influenced Fiji's cuisine, in
284-624: A fruit is fal instead of phal ) and between / d͡ʒ / and / z / (in Fiji Hindi land is jameen instead of zameen ). The consonant / n / is used in Fiji Hindi for the nasal sounds / ŋ / , / ɲ / and / ɳ / in Standard Hindi. These features are common in the Eastern Hindi dialects. Some other characteristics of Fiji Hindi which is similar to Bhojpuri and Awadhi are: In Fiji Hindi verb forms have been influenced by
355-520: A list of request to the government which included the following: The Colonial Secretary, ignored the requests. Following, the strike of 1920, and after the Government decided to deport Manilal, the I.I.A. organised petitions in different languages, asking for him to be allowed to stay in Fiji. After Manilal was deported from Fiji in 1920, the I.I.A. collapsed. In the 1920s attempts were made to revive
426-414: A lord mayor and deputy lord mayor, who served one-year terms and were eligible for re-election. However, in 2009, the military -backed interim Fijian government dismissed all municipal government officials throughout Fiji and appointed special administrators to run the urban areas. As of 2015 , elected municipal government had not been restored. The special administrator of Suva, along with nearby Nasinu ,
497-535: A mixed language; there are many different dialects amongst the Indian population, and of course much intercourse with the Fijians. The children pick up a little of each language, and do not know which is the one originally spoken by their parents. Other writers, including Burton (1914) and Lenwood (1917), made similar observations. By the late 1920s all Fiji Indian children born in Fiji learned Fiji Hindi, which became
568-520: A natural death, although attempts were made in later years to establish a similar association. Suva Suva ( Fijian pronunciation: [ˈsuβa] ; Fiji Hindi : सुवा ) is the capital and the most populous city of Fiji . It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu , in Rewa Province , Central Division . In 1877,
639-588: A number of Hindi dialects in India. First and second person forms of verbs in Fiji Hindi are the same. There is no gender distinction and number distinction is only in the third person past tense. Although, gender is used in third person past tense by the usage of "raha" for a male versus "rahi" for a female. The use of the first and second person imperfective suffixes -taa , -at are of Awadhi origin. Example: तुम मन्दिर जाता हैं / तुम मन्दिर जात हैं। "tum Mandir jaata hai/tum Mandir jaat hai." (You are going to
710-639: A post officer in the government office. When he arrived in Fiji in October 1911, he was sent to work with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company . He was initially employed as a telephone operator, but when he complained that he was not being given the promised job, he was sent to work in a cane field. He wrote to the I.I.A. and Manilal Doctor forwarded his case to the Anti-Slavery Society of London. The Society approached
781-576: A scenic walk along Suva's foreshore. Many city residents go to the Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve , a short drive from the city centre, to swim under the waterfalls . Many concerts are held in Suva, some coming from other countries to enjoy world-class performances. Concerts and shows are usually staged at one of the above-mentioned venues on a monthly basis. Some of the famous music artists to hold shows in Suva include UB40 , Lucky Dube , O'Yaba , Sean Kingston and many others. Due to
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#1732776145532852-459: A sole flight to Sydney , with the main operator out of the airport being Fiji Link . Fiji Link provides services to domestic locations within Fiji such as Savusavu and Rotuma . Suva has a public transport system consisting of buses (Central Transport Co.) and taxis servicing the metropolitan area as well as the cities of Nasinu, Nausori, and Lami town. There are bus services connecting Suva with other towns and cities on Viti Levu by way of either
923-653: A thriving arts and performance scene, and a growing reputation as the region's fashion capital . In 1868, when Suva was still a small village, the Bauan chieftain , Seru Epenisa Cakobau , granted 5,000 km (1,900 sq mi) of land to the Australian-based Polynesia Company, in exchange for the company's promise to pay off debts owed to the United States. More than a tenth of this land area, 575 km (222 sq mi),
994-446: A tropical rainforest climate, temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with an average high of about 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of about 22 °C (72 °F). Suva has a markedly higher rainfall than Nadi or the western side of Viti Levu (known to Suva inhabitants as "the burning west"). The second governor of Fiji, Sir Arthur Gordon , is said to have remarked that he had never seen it rain anywhere
1065-566: Is Chandu Umaria , a former lord mayor of Suva. A well-known landmark is the Suva City Carnegie Library , which was built in 1909. It is one of many colonial-period buildings in the city. Another landmark is Suva's governmental building complex. It sits on what was once the flowing waters of a creek. In 1935, the creek was drained, and the complex's foundations were created by driving more than five kilometres of reinforced concrete pilings into its bed. The foundation stone
1136-471: Is a popular spot for viewing sunrise and sunset. Thurston Gardens , which opened in 1913, features flora from throughout the South Pacific. Suva has many shopping and retail areas, notably Cumming Street, which has been a vibrant and colourful shopping area since colonial times. The Cumming Street area features original colonial buildings and narrow roads. Suva also has modern shopping malls, such as
1207-492: Is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by Indo-Fijians . It is an Eastern Hindi and Bihari language , considered to be a koiné language based on Awadhi that has also been subject to considerable influence by Bhojpuri , other Eastern Hindi and Bihari dialects, and Standard Hindi - Urdu . It has also borrowed some vocabulary from English , Fijian , Telugu , Tamil , Bengali , Punjabi , Gujarati , and Malayalam . Many words unique to Fiji Hindi have been created to cater for
1278-625: Is home to the national radio broadcasters Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) and Communications Fiji Limited (CFL), between them providing 12 national radio stations. The two dailies, The Fiji Times and The Fiji Sun are printed here (and, formerly, the Fiji Post ). Many other weekly newspapers are headquartered and published in Suva, including Inside Fiji , Nai Lalakai (iTaukei language weekly), Shanti Dut (Fiji Hindi weekly), national magazines such as Repúblika and Mai Life as well as regional magazines such as Islands Business . Suva
1349-450: Is host to more international and regional intergovernmental agencies and NGOs than any other Pacific Island capital. Some of the bodies with a presence in Suva are: Suva is the cultural and entertainment capital of Oceania and is host to many regional, national, and local events. The city has a very developed and advanced entertainment and event infrastructure and hosts a busy calendar of events every year. Suva has many multipurpose venues,
1420-655: Is one of the most shopper-friendly cities in the Pacific. The city offers its shops in a cluster that is referred to as Suva Central. Areas like Cumming Street and Marks Street are for clothing, jewellery, food, electronics, pharmaceuticals and more. Terry Walk and the Flea Market offer handicrafts and local ware. Close by, huge, new shopping complexes dominate the canal area, such as MHCC (Morris Hedstrom City Center), Tappoo City and Suva Central. There are telecommunication and electronic stores, as well as sporting gear stores in
1491-436: Is spoken by Indo-Fijians. Following the recent political upheaval in Fiji , many Indo-Fijians have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, where they have largely maintained their traditional Indo-Fijian culture, language, and religion. Some writers have begun to use Fiji Hindi, until very recently a spoken language only, as a literary language. The Bible has now been translated into Fiji Hindi, and
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#17327761455321562-601: Is valued at US$ 25.7 million (FJD50 million). Construction work began in January 2011 for a FJD30 -million mini-mall complex at Grantham Road, behind the Sports-City Complex and close to the Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific . It was scheduled to be completed in 2012, and to house restaurants, retail outlets, and cinemas. Unlike most cities and towns in Fiji, and many around
1633-520: The Bhojpuri and Awadhi dialects of the Hindi Belt spoken in rural India , mainly Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh — the consonant / ʃ / is replaced with / s / (for example, saadi instead of shaadi ) and / ʋ / replaced with / b / (for example, bid-es instead of videsh ). There is also a tendency to ignore the differences between the consonants / pʰ / and / f / (In Fiji Hindi
1704-519: The Bihari languages of Bihar , Uttar Pradesh , Jharkhand , Madhesh , Koshi , Bagmati , Gandaki and Lumbini , and the dialects of Eastern Hindi of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Lumbini, but differs in phonetics and vocabulary with Modern Standard Hindi and Urdu . These are the percentages of each language and dialect spoken by indentured labourers who came to Fiji. Indian indentured labourers mainly spoke dialects from
1775-472: The Hindi Belt . Initially, the majority of labourers came to Fiji from districts of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar , while a small percentage hailed from North-West Frontier and South India such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over time, a distinct Indo-Aryan language with an Eastern Hindi substratum developed in Fiji , combining elements of
1846-466: The Hindi languages spoken in these areas with some native Fijian and English . The development of Fiji Hindi was accelerated by the need for labourers speaking different languages to work together and by the practice of leaving young children in early versions of day-care centers during working hours. Percy Wright, who lived in Fiji during the indenture period, wrote: Indian children born in Fiji will have
1917-527: The Muanikau and Samabula wards , expanding its territory to 13 km (5.0 sq mi). In October of that year, Suva was officially designated a city – Fiji's first. Suva later annexed Tamavua . Most recently, Suva further extended its boundaries by incorporating the Cunningham area at its northern edge. Since then, urban sprawl has led to the growth of a number of suburbs that remain outside
1988-477: The University of the South Pacific has recently begun offering courses in the language. It is usually written in the Latin script though Devanāgarī has also been used. A Fiji Hindi movie has also been produced depicting Indo-Fijian life and is based on a play by local playwright, Raymond Pillai . The phonemes of Fiji Hindi are very similar to Standard Hindi, but there are some important distinctions. As in
2059-470: The Westpac . In addition, most Fijian financial institutions, non-governmental organisations , and government ministries and departments are headquartered here. At one point, both Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways ) and Air Fiji were headquartered in Suva. A large part of Fiji's international shipping , as well as the docking of international cruise ships, takes place at Suva's Kings Wharf. This has led to
2130-647: The Colonial Office and Veeraswamy was able to buy his freedom and get employment outside the indenture system. After the appointment of Badri Maharaj as the nominated member representing Indians in the Legislative Council (Fiji) , the I.I.A. took on the role of an opposition party because Badri Maharaj had little support amongst the Fiji Indians. The I.I.A. was allowed to present an address of welcome to Admiral Lord Jellicoe , on behalf of
2201-567: The Fiji Ministry of Information, which produces government programs as well as national news and current affairs bulletins. Fiji One produces and airs its evening 'National News' bulletin from its studios in Gladstone Road in Central; FBC TV airs its 'FBC News' bulletin from its studios, also on Gladstone Road. Sky Pacific and Pacific Broadcasting Services Fiji are the two pay satellite television company headquartered here. Suva
Indian Imperial Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-524: The I.I.A., having representatives from all sections of the Indian community, with Ilahi Ramjan as President, Ram Singh as Secretary and Deoki and Ram Samujh as vice-presidents. It made representations to the Secretary of State for the Colonies about residential tax and other issues, but the Government regarded it as representing only the urban educated Indians and refused to recognise it. It thus died
2343-643: The Independence of Fiji, the landing by Kingsford Smith on the Southern Cross and many parades and carnivals. Sukuna Park, also in the CBD is a popular recreational park and has many performances and events on a weekly basis. Thurston Gardens (named for Governor of Fiji John Bates Thurston ) is the city's main botanical garden and the location of the Fiji Museum. Queen Elizabeth Drive is popular as
2414-589: The Indian community, during his visit to Fiji in 1919. On 26 December 1919, the Association organised a conference in the Suva Town Hall, which Manilal chaired and which passed a number of resolutions, including a call for independence for India, sympathy for the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and other resolutions relating to Fiji Indians. On 29 December 1919 the Association sent
2485-623: The Kings, Queens, or Princes highways, all originating within Suva, although the latter terminates at Rewa Bridge in Nausori. There is a domestic ferry service from the Princess Wharf to the outer islands of Fiji as well as Vanua Levu . International ships and cruise liners dock at Suva's Kings Wharf. Fiji Hindi language Fiji Hindi ( Devanagari : फ़िजी हिंदी ; Kaithi : 𑂣𑂺𑂱𑂔𑂲⸱𑂯𑂱𑂁𑂠𑂲 ; Perso-Arabic : فجی ہندی )
2556-520: The Ramayana). The third person definite future suffix -ii is found in both Awadhi and Bhojpuri. Example: प्रधानमंत्री हमलोग के पैसा दई। "Pradhanamantri humlog ke paisa daii" (The prime minister will give us money). The influence of Hindustani is evident in the first and second person perfective suffix -aa and the first and second person future suffix -ega . Example: हम करा। तुम करेगा। "Hum karaa, tum karega." (I did, you will do). The origin of
2627-768: The South Pacific islands), the New Years Street Party , and the Fiji Show Case tradeshow that includes carnival rides, food as well as magic and circus performances. Suva plays host to many regional and national sporting events, most notably at the HFC Bank Stadium . A special highlight is the Coca-Cola Games, the largest secondary school athletics meet in the world. The Capital City is represented in major sporting events by its respective rugby , netball and football teams. Suva
2698-661: The Suva Central Shopping Mall, the Mid-City Mall, and MHCC, along with other developments give much of the city a modern and sophisticated look. TappooCity is one of Fiji's shopping mall, and the largest in the South Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand. This low-rise (six-storey) building was constructed in December 2009 in a joint venture by FNPF and the Tappoo Group of Companies. It
2769-718: The Suva–Nausori Corridor. It is the most populous area in Fiji, with over 330,000 inhabitants. Suva has a tropical rainforest climate , according to the Köppen climate classification system. But because of its trade winds and occasional cyclones , it is not an equatorial climate. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation throughout the year, with no true dry season; no month has an average rainfall below 60 mm (2 in). Suva averages 3,000 mm (118 inches) of precipitation annually. Its driest month, July, averages 125 mm (4.92 in). As in many other cities with
2840-569: The Temple). While the third person imperfective suffix -e is of Bhojpuri origin. Example: ई बिल्ली मच्छरी खावे हैं। "Ee billi macchari KHAWE hai." (This cat is eating a fish). The third person perfective suffixes (for transitive verbs ) -is and -in are also derived from Awadhi. Example: किसान गन्ना काटीस रहा। "Kisaan ganna katees raha." (The farmer cut the sugarcane). पण्डित लोगन रामायण पढ़ीन रहा/पण्डित लोगन रामायण पढ़े रहीन। "Pandit logan Ramayan padheen raha/padhe raheen." (The priests read
2911-436: The area around Suva. In addition to being the capital of Fiji, Suva is also its commercial and political centre (though not necessarily its cultural centre), and its main port city. It has a mix of modern buildings and colonial-period architecture. Suva is located around a harbour on a hilly peninsula in the southeast corner of Viti Levu Island, between Laucala Bay and Suva Harbour. The mountains to its north and west catch
Indian Imperial Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-564: The association (British Indian Association of Fiji) to be changed because the name had the word "British" in it and Manilal, being a citizen of Baroda State, was not a British subject. Manilal became the President of the Indian Imperial Association of Fiji and Ram Singh its Secretary. The association contained mainly educated Fiji Indians. It sent petitions to the Government seeking review of marriage law , an end to
3053-513: The capital of Fiji was moved to Suva from Levuka , the main European colonial settlement at the time, due to the restrictive geography and environs of the latter. The administration of the colony was transferred from Levuka to Suva in 1882. As of the 2017 census, the city of Suva had a population of 93,970, and Suva's metropolitan area, which includes its independent suburbs, had a population of 185,913. The combined urban population of Suva and
3124-685: The census) was being spoken in Indo-Fijian households. Hindu schools teach the Devanagari script while the Muslim schools teach the Nastaliq script. Fiji Hindi is also understood and even spoken by Indigenous Fijians in areas of Fiji where there are large Indo-Fijian communities. A pidgin form of the language is used by rural ethnic Fijians, as well as Chinese on the islands, while Pidgin Fijian
3195-472: The city centre, followed by the northwesternmost ward, and then in clockwise order: Suva sits in the middle of a metropolitan area, sometimes known as the Suva Urban Complex , and sometimes informally known as Suva, even though it encompasses a total of four areas with their own town or city names and their own separate local governments. This conurbation stretches from Lami (immediately west of
3266-426: The city is home to most of Fiji's ethnic minority populations, which include Rotumans, Lauans, Rambians, Europeans (known as Kaivalagi ), part-Europeans (of European and Fijian descent, known as “Kailoma") and Chinese , among others. The most widely spoken language is English, but Fijian , Fiji Hindi , and other languages are also spoken by their respective communities. Suva's inhabitants are representative of all
3337-675: The city limits. Together with the city, they form the metropolitan area known as the Greater Suva Area . Suva hosted the South Pacific Games in 2003 for the third time in the event's 40-year history. In preparation for hosting the event, the Fijian government , with the help of a $ 16 million aid package from the People's Republic of China, funded the construction of a new gymnasium, indoor sports centre, swimming pool, stadium, field hockey pitch, and grandstands in
3408-714: The city of Suva) along the Queens Highway, through Nasinu (immediately east of the city of Suva), to the Rewa River , along the Kings Highway, and then to Nausori across the river. To the north and northeast are the rainforest-park areas of Colo-i-Suva and Sawani, along the Princes Road, which connect at the Rewa River Bridge . This whole area (excluding Lami) is also formally referred to as
3479-497: The common language in Fiji of North and South Indians alike. Later, approximately 15,000 Indian indentured labourers, who were mainly speakers of Dravidian languages ( Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , Kannada , Tulu , Gondi , and Kodava ), were brought from South India . By this time Fiji Hindi was well established as the lingua franca of Indo-Fijians and the Southern Indian labourers had to learn it to communicate with
3550-473: The complaints. Manilal Doctor made submissions for their report, published on 29 February 1916, which reported on the deplorable living conditions of the indentured labourers and their lack of access to education and medical facilities. The case of Viraswamy is an example of the success of I.I.A. Viraswamy was an educated young man, who had been recruited in Madras on the understanding that he would be working on
3621-514: The death penalty and representation into the Legislative Council . The aim of the association was to 'watch the interests of and to assist in the general improvement of the Indian community in Fiji'. As president of the I.I.A., Manilal Doctor wrote to Gandhi , other Indian leaders and the British Labour Party on the sad plight of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji. C.F. Andrews and W.W. Pearson were dispatched to Fiji to enquire into
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#17327761455323692-466: The growth of Suva's tourism industry . The largest of Suva's several industrial areas is Walu Bay, which is home to factories, warehouses , import-export companies, shipyards , container yards, a brewery, and many printeries. Other notable industrial areas are Vatuwaqa, Raiwaqa, and Laucala Beach. Suva boasts many thriving markets and shopping complexes. Among the most popular areas for shopping and commerce are Cumming Street and Victoria Parade. Suva
3763-477: The house (polite)). The suffix -be , from Bhojpuri, is used in Fiji Hindi in emphatic sentences. Another suffix originating from Awadhi is -it . Example: ई लोगन पानी काहे नहीं पीत हैं। "Ee logan paani kahey nahi peet hai." (Why aren't these people drinking water?), but is at present going out of use. Fiji Hindi tenses are relatively similar to tenses in Standard Hindi . Bhojpuri and Awadhi influence
3834-527: The imperative suffix -o can be traced to the Magahi dialect. Example: तुम अपन मुह खोलो। "Tum apan muh khulo." (You open your mouth). Spoken in the Gaya and Patna districts, which provided a sizeable proportion of the first indentured labourers from Northern India to Fiji. Fiji Hindi has developed its own polite imperative suffix -naa . Example: आप घर के सफा कर लेना। "Aap ghar ke sapha kar Lena." (You clean
3905-677: The main ones being the Vodafone Arena , which can seat up to 5,000 people, the HFC Bank Stadium , which can seat up to 30,000 people, the FMF National Gymnasium Suva, which can seat up to 2,000 people, and the Civic Auditorium, which can seat up to 1,000 people. Suva has a number of parks and a few gardens. Albert Park , in the City centre, is famous as the stage for many national-historical events such as
3976-402: The major indigenous Pacific groups: it is sometimes referred to as the “ New York of the Pacific". The city has a reputation as a major economic centre in the region and is the site of University of the South Pacific 's main campus. This has led to an influx of Pacific migrants, who study, work, and live in the city and its boroughs. Suva has municipal status and, until 2009, was governed by
4047-424: The more numerous Northern Indians and their European overseers. After the end of the indenture system, Indians who spoke Gujarati and Punjabi arrived in Fiji as free immigrants. A few Indo-Fijians speak Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati at home, but all are fluently conversant and able to communicate using Fiji Hindi. The census reports of 1956 and 1966 shows the extent to which Fiji Hindi (referred to as 'Hindustani' in
4118-529: The new environment that Indo-Fijians now live in. First-generation Indians in Fiji , who used the language as a lingua franca in Fiji, referred to it as Fiji Baat , "Fiji talk". It is closely related to Caribbean Hindustani and the Bhojpuri-Hindustani spoken in Mauritius and South Africa . It is largely mutually intelligible with the languages of Awadhi and Bhojpuri , as well as with
4189-609: The outer areas of this radius. Suva also hosts the headquarters of the Fashion Council of Fiji, the region's most significant fashion organisation. The Fijian Fashion Festival, the region's largest trade and consumer fashion platform, occurs annually at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. Nausori International Airport caters mainly to the domestic market, connecting Suva with Fiji's other international airport, Nadi International Airport . Fiji Airways operates
4260-497: The process creating the uniquely Fiji Indian curry. Indentured labourers brought with them spices, chilies, and other herbs and vegetables which now are part of the Fijian culinary experience. During the course of the year, arts, music and trade festivals are held in Suva, albeit on a small scale. There are a few large and notable festivals that occur annually and these include the Hibiscus Festival (largest carnival in
4331-635: The site was built in 1882, but a fire caused by a lightning strike destroyed it in 1921. It was rebuilt in 1928. The Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) occupies what was originally a New Zealand military base. It is the largest of the many USP campuses dotted throughout the South Pacific. USP is the largest university in the Pacific Islands outside Hawaii, and its courses are internationally recognised and endorsed. The Fiji Museum , now located in Thurston Gardens ,
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#17327761455324402-423: The southeast trade winds, producing year-round moist conditions. Although Suva is on a peninsula, and almost surrounded by sea, its coast is lined with mangroves - the nearest beach is 40 kilometres (25 mi) away, at Pacific Harbour . A significant part of the city centre, including the Parliament buildings, is built on reclaimed mangrove swampland. Below is a list of the city's five wards, beginning with
4473-437: The town impractical. Colonel F. E. Pratt of the Royal Engineers was appointed Surveyor-General in 1875 and designed the new capital in Suva, assisted by W. Stephens and Colonel R. W. Stewart. The transfer of the administration to Suva was made official in 1882. In 1910, Suva acquired the status of a municipality, under the Municipal Constitution Ordinance of 1909. Its area remained one square mile until 1952 when Suva annexed
4544-489: The towns of Lami , Nasinu , and Nausori that border it was around 330,000: over a third of the nation's population. (This urban complex, excluding Lami, is also known as the Suva-Nausori corridor .) Suva is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Fiji. It is also the economic and cultural capital of the South Pacific, hosting the majority of the regional headquarters of major international corporations, international agencies, and diplomatic missions. The city also has
4615-399: The way it rains in Suva and that there was hardly a day without rain. The most copious rainfall is observed from November to May, while the slightly cooler months from June to October see considerably more moderate rainfall. Suva is a multiracial and multicultural city. Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians , the two principal ethnic groups of Fiji, comprise the bulk of Suva's population, and
4686-478: The world, Suva did not grow up around a single industry. It has gradually developed to become the largest and most sophisticated city in the Pacific Islands, and a regional hub. Fijians of Indian descent have largely shaped the economy of Fiji, contributing immensely to the growth of Suva and to its status as the economic and political capital of Fiji. Suva is the commercial center of Fiji: Most international banks have their Pacific headquarters here, including ANZ and
4757-399: Was chaired by Shriyut Rupram and discussed grievances such as the lack of educated leadership amongst the Indians and the dependence on European lawyers. Totaram Sanadhya was responsible for its Hindi language correspondence. The Indian Imperial Association of Fiji (I.I.A.) came into existence in Fiji on 2 June 1918 after the arrival of Manilal Doctor, who asked for the original name of
4828-472: Was founded in 1904, and originally occupied the old town hall. It was moved to its present location in 1954. The museum houses the most extensive collection of Fijian artifacts in the world, and is also a research and educational institution, specialising in archaeology, the preservation of Fiji's oral tradition, and the publication of material on Fiji's language and culture. Suva has about 78 parks. The new Takashi Suzuki Garden , in Apted Park at Suva Point ,
4899-444: Was laid in 1937, the building complex was completed in 1939, and a new wing was completed in 1967. However, in 1992, the seat of Fiji's parliament was moved out of that complex and into a new one on Ratu Sukuna Road . Government House was formerly the residence of Fiji's colonial governors and, after Fijian independence in 1970, governors-general . Today, it is the official residence of Fiji's president . The original house on
4970-407: Was located near Suva. The company's original intention was to develop a cotton farming industry, but the land and climate proved unsuitable. In 1874, control of the Fiji Islands was ceded to the United Kingdom. In 1877, the colonial authorities decided to move the capital to Suva from Levuka , Ovalau, Lomaiviti, because Levuka's location between a steep mountain and the sea made any expansion of
5041-449: Was the host of the first Pacific Games , in 1963. Forty years later in 2003 the Games returned to Fiji's capital, with a full program of 32 sports introduced for the first time. Suva held the games for the second time in 1979. Having hosted the event three times, Suva has held the Pacific Games more often than any other city. Headquartered in Suva are the three main national television stations, Fiji One , FBC TV and MAI TV along with
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