Fiji: Islands, Independence, and Community
How can hundreds of islands form one country? In Fiji, the answer has grown from connections among communities spread across the South Pacific Ocean. On October 10, 1970, Fiji became an independent country. That meant its people, rather than a government in Britain, would govern their country.
Fiji is an island nation northeast of New Zealand. Its two largest islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, but the country includes hundreds of smaller islands as well. Some are inhabited, while others are not. Mountains, rivers, forests, and reefs shape the places where people live. Suva, on Viti Levu, is Fiji’s capital and a center of government.
Before independence
Long before British rule, Indigenous Fijians lived in communities across the islands. Communities had their own connections to land and sea, and they did not all have the same customs. Fiji also became home to people whose families came from other parts of the world.
In 1874, several Fijian chiefs signed an agreement that placed Fiji under British rule. Fiji became a British colony, meaning Britain controlled its government. Decisions about Fiji were connected to a government far across the ocean.
- inhabited:
- Having people living there.
- customs:
- Ways of doing things that a group follows.
- laborers:
- People who do physical work.
- plantations:
- Large farms where crops are grown.
- descendants:
- People who come from earlier members of a family.
- Negotiations:
- Discussions in which people try to reach an agreement.
- distinct:
- Different or separate in a noticeable way.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did independence change who governed Fiji?
- 2How did the 1874 agreement change Fiji’s government?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Fiji: Islands, Independence, and Community” is a explanatory article reading passage about Fiji's independence, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (488 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.