|
Fiji, one of the most favorite tourist destinations of the world, has a history of its own. The history of Fiji dates back to around 1000 B.C. The specimens of potteries unearthed from different places of the Fijian towns are evidence of the country's existence. It was the people from the South East Asia who were the first to inhabit at different parts of the Fijian land. It was during the 17th century that the island nation of Fiji was visited by explorers from Europe. In the year 1643, Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer was in the look out for the Great Southern Continent. It was then that he had a visit to the land of Fiji. Travelers are always interested in getting a Fiji overview. Fiji travel guide gives us a deeper insight of the history of Fiji. History of Fiji states that during the nineteenth century, the Europeans had started settling down on the islands of Fiji on a permanent basis. In the year 1874, the land of Fiji was converted into a colony which was under the rulings of the British. With this, the British started bringing the Indian contract laborers in the land. 1970 marked one of the major milestones in the history of Fiji. The country was declared independent on the 10th day of August, 1970. Many perceived the government as being controlled by the Indo-Fijian or the Indian community. The year 1987 experienced a couple of military coups, causing unrest in the democratic setup. The history of Fiji witnessed the second coup in the year1987. A non-executive President replaced the the Governor General as well as the British monarchy. From its name of Dominion of Fiji, the nation was newly named as the Republic of Fiji. In 1997, the name was again changed to Republic of the Fiji Islands. The coups had a negative impact on the country as a whole. Indian emigration was on of the most worrying factors. Though the phenomena played its part in holding up the Melanesians as the majority of the population, the population loss resulted in the downslide of the national economy. The history of Fiji states that in the year 1992, Sitiveni Rabuka, the Lieutenant Colonel who was in charge of the 1987 coup, took charge as the Prime Minister of Fiji. Fiji regained its admission to the Commonwealth of Nations. Even after the enactment of constitution in 1997, Fiji faced a civilian-led coup in 2000. The country got a democratically elected government in 2001. It was in 2006 that another military coup took place. In spite of being a small nation, the armed forces of Fiji are substantial in its volume. Fiji has been a key contributor to the UN peace initiatives carried out in different parts of the world.
|
