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Te Ao Hou, June 1968, Page 54

7,055 square miles on almost 400 islands, many of them uninhabited. The population on the outer islands is composed almost entirely of Fijians. Large numbers of Indians live on the two main islands which are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. For the year ended December 1967, Fiji's trade consisted of exports worth £20,678,000. while their imports were £28,143,000. The importation of food items is fairly considerable, being approximately £6,000,000 a year, the main items being bran, rice, flour, canned fish, milk products, meat and tea. Their economy is based on sugar, copra, timber and gold, with a few bananas. I previously mentioned that the population now of Fiji is almost half a million, of whom half the number are Indians. The sugar industry has been the basis of Fiji's economy for many years, but because of the reluctance of the native Fijians to work in the sugar fields, indentured labourers were brought from India for the work. Eventually some Indian women were also brought to Fiji. Although many

Indians accepted repatriation at the end of their indendture, manv stayed on and there are now more Indians in Fiji than Fijians. They have a share in Government but very small land rights as most of the land is still held under Fijian reservations. A great problem therefore develops, as the Fijian has the land, the Indians are the commercial people and the small farmers supply the large percentage of sugar cane. The Indian, however, seems to be patiently, and sometimes impatiently, exerting his claims to land and has created a situation which is almost incapable of solution. However, Fiji has industry. It has a substantial trade and has much more opportunity of existing in a state of independence than its other Pacific neighbours.