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Sponsored LinksTravel reviews & great deals at TripAdvisor: People and GovernmentThe Fijians are a dark-skinned people of Melanesian origin and predominate mainly in the western islands; they account for nearly half the population. The indigenous people of the eastern islands are largely Polynesian. Indians, who mainly came from 1879 to 1916 as indentured workers for the British, make up less than half the population (many left after the 1987 coup) and are engaged chiefly in the sugar industry and commerce. There are also small groups of Europeans, Chinese, and Micronesians. The native Fijians are mainly Christian; the Indians are about three quarters Hindu and one quarter Muslim. The official language is Fijian, but English and Hindi are also spoken. Fiji is governed under the 1990 constitution as amended. The president, who is elected by the Great Council of Chiefs and serves for five years, appoints the prime minister. Parliament consists of a 34-seat senate whose members are appointed, mainly by the president in consultation in part with the Great Council of Chiefs, and a 71-seat house of representatives, whose members are elected to five-year terms. Most house seats are reserved for members fo Fiji's ethnic groups; 25 are subject to open election. Administratively, Fiji is divided into four divisions and the dependency of Rotuma. Sections in this article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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