Fiji at last

For many years Fiji was one of my desired visiting targets, and when staying in Singapore a visit to Fiji was not a too far-away dream. I never reached Fiji, but yesterday Fiji reached me.

Fiji (or The Republic of The Fiji Islands) is located between 176° 53′ east and 178° 12′ west. The 180° meridian runs through the 3rd largest island, Taveuni, but the International Dateline is bent to give uniform time (UTC+12) to all of the Fiji group.

The majority of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activity started around 150 million years ago.
Fiji was suggested to have settled by Polynesians before Micronesian, but there lacks evidence that this happened either in oral and geology, except that of Ma'afu.
The first settlements in Fiji were started by voyaging traders and settlers from the west about 5000 years ago. Lapita pottery shards have been found at numerous excavations around the country. Classic' Lapita pottery was produced between 1350 and 750 BCE in the Bismarck Archipelago.

The current flag of Fiji was adopted on October 10, 1970. Its bright blue background symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, which plays an important part in the lives of the islanders, both in terms of the fishing industry, and the huge tourist trade. The Union Jack reflects the country's links with Great Britain. The shield is derived from the country's official coat of arms, which was originally granted by Royal Warrant in 1908.