Viti Levu
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Topography of Viti Levu |
Viti Levu (
IPA: []) is the largest island in the
Republic of Fiji covering an area of
10,388 km² and spanning 146 kilometers long by 106 kilometers wide. In all of
Oceania, apart from
Tasmania and the
North and
South Islands of
New Zealand, Viti Levu is bettered in size only by
Hawaii Island and
New Caledonia.
Geologists believe that Viti Levu has been submerged a number of times, and has been covered by
lava and other volcanic materials. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions account for the somewhat rugged terrain of the island, which is divided into roughly equal halves by a north-south mountain range. The eastern side of the island experiences heavy rainfall, while the western side is much more arid. Accordingly,
sugar cane production thrives in the west, while a
dairy industry is being built in the east. Fiji's biggest cattle ranch, with 7000 head of cattle in its 70 square kilometres, is at
Yaqara, halfway between
Tavua and
Rakiraki.
The centre of the island is forested and includes the nation's highest peak
Tomanivi (otherwise
Mt. Victoria) rising to 1,324 meters.
The island is the only known home of one of the world's largest insects, the
Giant Fijian Long-Horned Beetle.
Viti Levu hosts the capital city of
Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population of the Republic (about 580,000). Other important towns, all around the coast, include
Ba,
Lautoka,
Nadi,
Nausori,
Rakiraki, and
Sigatoka. One major road has been built around the perimeter of Viti Levu.
Well-known localities include
Natadola Beach,
Pacific Harbour (a high class resort 50 kilometers from Suva)
Eight of Fiji's fourteen
Provinces are in
Viti Levu. The Provinces of
Ba,
Nadroga-Navosa, and
Ra comprise the
Western Division, while
Naitasiri,
Namosi,
Rewa,
Serua, and
Tailevu form the
Central Division. In part because of its high concentration of
Indo-Fijians, whose ancestors came mostly as indentured workers from
India between
1879 and
1916, the political dynamics of western Viti Levu are somewhat different from those of eastern Viti Levu, where, apart from the multi-racial urban areas,
indigenous Fijians are more heavily concentrated.
Viti Levu is believed to have been inhabited longer than the northern island of
Vanua Levu. According to oral traditions, the first
Melanesian settlers landed at
Vuda Point and established
Viseisei, believed to be Fiji's oldest settlement, nearby.
