Posted on September 7, 2020
The South Pacific island nation of Fiji was ruled by Great Britain for about a century, but it became an independent nation in 1970. Unfortunately, the newly independent government was not a paragon of democracy: there were a series of coups, a military government, and finally - on this date in 2013 - adopted a new constitution and, about a year later - held a democratic election.
I noticed that this year's Constitution Day focuses on a right enshrined in Fiji's constitution: the right to health. Because of COVID-19, the Fijian government started a contest for students about how Fijians can best ensure the health of themselves and their countrymen. I thought it was an essay contest, but it turns out that students can answer with an essay OR a poem OR a story OR even a Tik-Tok video!
Did you know...?
Because the International Date Line runs through the Fijian island of Tavenui, you can stand with one foot in one day, and the other foot in the day before! Weird!
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| Notice that the sign reads "Today" and "Yesterday." |
Although Fiji is made up of 333 islands (with 110 being inhabited), the land surface is smaller than the small U.S. state of New Jersey.
The water surface, of course, is a LOT larger! And beautiful!
Fiji can boast some very nice coral reefs and more than 1,500 species of sea life.
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