Fiji is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean about 2000 km north of New Zealand's North Island. Its immediate neighbors are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec to the southeast, Tonga to the east, Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 300 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of ca. 18,300 km2. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 850,000. The former island contains Suva, the capital and biggest city.

The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, who are Melanesians (54.3%), although a few also have Polynesian ancestry, and Indo-Fijians (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British in the nineteenth century. The Fiji coup of 2000 has provoked a violent backlash against the Indo-Fijians. There is also a small but significant group of descendants of indentured laborers from Solomon Islands.

Fiji covers a total area of some 194,000 square kilometres (75,000 sq mi) of which around 10% is land.

Fiji's culture is a rich mosaic of indigenous, Indian, Chinese and European traditions, comprising social polity, language, food (based mainly from the sea, casava, dalo & other vegetables), costume, belief systems, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance and sports.

Fiji has a significant amount of tourism and many people go to the Nadi and Denarau islands. Fiji has a significant amounts of soft coral reefs, and scuba diving is a common tourist activity. More budget resorts are being opened in remote areas, which provides more tourism opportunities.