View source for Local government in Fiji

{{Short description|none}}
{{Update|part=Towns and cities|reason=Requires update per [[P:WP]]|date=April 2023}}
{{Politics of Fiji}}

[[Fiji]] is divided administratively into four [[division (political geography)|divisions]], which are further subdivided into fourteen [[provinces of Fiji|provinces]]. Each province has a provincial council.

== Administrative divisions ==

[[File:Fiji divisions named.png |right|thumb| The four divisions of Fiji]]

[[File:Fiji Province.svg|thumb|The fourteen provinces of Fiji]]

[[Fiji]] is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen [[provinces of Fiji|provinces]]; the self-governing island<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Rotuma_Act|title=Rotuma Act|last=Fiji|first=Parliament of}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itc.gov.fj/lawnet/fiji_act/inter_act_list.html |title=Laws of Fiji - ITC Services Online |access-date=2010-07-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706210709/http://www.itc.gov.fj/lawnet/fiji_act/inter_act_list.html |archive-date=2010-07-06 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B9Qww9fVkGIC&q=rotuma+free+association&pg=PA239|title=Rotuma, Hanuạ Pumue|last=Fatiaki|first=Anselmo|date=1991|publisher=editorips@usp.ac.fj|isbn=9789820200357|language=en}}</ref> of [[Rotuma]] and its nearby islets lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a ''Commissioner,'' appointed by the Fijian government.

The divisions are basically agglomerations of provinces and have few administrative functions of their own, but serve to foster cooperation among the member provinces for providing services.

=== Provinces ===
{{Main|Provinces of Fiji}}

{{table alignment}}
{| class="sortable wikitable col1left" {{right}}
! Division{{br}}(Capital)
! Province
! Area{{br}}{{km2}}<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.statsfiji.gov.fj/component/advlisting/?view=download&format=raw&fileId=1870 |title = 2007 Census Analytical Report |website = statsfiji.gov.fj |access-date=7 Nov 2021}}</ref>
! Population{{br}}(2007)
! Population{{br}}(2017)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.statsfiji.gov.fj/index.php/census-2017/census-2017-release-1 |title = 2017 Population and Housing Census - Release 1 |website = statsfiji.gov.fj |access-date=7 Nov 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[Central Division, Fiji|Central]]{{br}}([[Suva]]) || {{left}} [[Naitasiri Province|Naitasiri]] || 1666 || 160,760 || 177,678
|-
| [[Namosi Province|Namosi]] || 570 || 6,898 || 7,871
|-
| [[Rewa Province|Rewa]] || 272 || 100,995 || 108,016
|-
| [[Serua Province|Serua]] || 830 || 18,249 || 20,031
|-
| [[Tailevu Province|Tailevu]] || 955 || 55,692 || 64,552
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Northern Division, Fiji|Northern]]{{br}}([[Labasa]]) || {{left}} [[Bua Province|Bua]] || 1378 || 14,176 || 15,466
|-
| [[Cakaudrove Province|Cakaudrove]] || 2816 || 49,344 || 50,469
|-
| [[Macuata Province|Macuata]] || 2004 || 72,441 || 65,983
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Eastern Division, Fiji|Eastern]]{{br}}([[Levuka]]) || {{left}} [[Kadavu Province|Kadavu]] || 478 || 10,167 || 10,897
|-
| [[Lau Province|Lau]] || 487 || 10,683 || 9,602
|-
| [[Lomaiviti Province|Lomaiviti]] || 411 || 16,253 || 15,657
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Western Division, Fiji|Western]]{{br}}([[Lautoka]]) || {{left}} [[Ba Province|Ba]] || 2634 || 231,760 || 247,708
|-
| [[Nadroga-Navosa Province|Nadroga-Navosa]] || 2385 || 58,387 || 58,931
|-
| [[Ra Province|Ra]] || 1341 || 29,464 || 30,432
|-
| colspan=2 | {{center|[[Rotuma]]}} || 46 || 2,002 || 1,594
|}

== Provincial council ==
Each province has a ''provincial council'' which may make bylaws and impose rates (local taxes), subject to the approval of the [[Minister for iTaukei Affairs|iTaukei Affairs Board]] a government department. The board must also approve the appointment of the ''[[Roko Tui]]'', or executive head of the provincial council, who is usually a [[Ratu|high chief]], although in recent years, commoners have sometimes been chosen.

The provinces used to have direct input into national affairs through the [[Great Council of Chiefs]] and the [[Senate of Fiji|Senate]]. The Great Council of Chiefs was a traditional body which advised the government on indigenous affairs and also functioned as an [[electoral college]] to elect the [[President of Fiji|President]] and [[Vice-President of Fiji|Vice-President]]; 42 of the 55 members of the Great Council were chosen by the provincial councils, three from each province. In addition, 14 of the 32 members of the Senate, the upper house of the Fijian [[Parliament of Fiji|Parliament]], were chosen by the provincial councils (one Senator each) and confirmed by the Great Council of Chiefs. The [[Republic of Fiji Military Forces|Military]]-backed interim government that seized power in a [[2006 Fijian coup d'état|military coup]] on 5 December 2006 formally abolished the Great Council of Chiefs in 2012, and the [[2013 Constitution of Fiji|2013 Constitution]] promulgated by the regime similarly abolished the Senate. This effectively ended provincial input into national government affairs.

== Island of Rotuma ==
The island of [[Rotuma]], north of the main archipelago, is a self-governing dependency according to the Rotuma Act promulgated in 1927. The Fiji government includes it in the Eastern Division for statistical purposes (such as the [[census]]), but it has its own [[Council of Rotuma|council]], which is empowered to legislate on most local matters. Like a province, Rotuma used to choose (through its council) 3 members of the Great Council of Chiefs and 1 Senator.

== Provincial administration ==
Below the provincial level, districts and villages, based on extended family networks, have their own chiefs and councils. [[Fijians|Indigenous Fijian]] administration is based on the ''koro,'' or village, headed by a ''Turaga ni Koro'' elected or appointed by the villagers. Several koros combine to form a ''Tikina,'' two or more of which comprise a province. In addition, [[municipal]] governments have been established for the [[City|cities]] of [[Suva]] and [[Lautoka]], and for ten [[town]]s. Each has a city or town council [[Municipal elections in Fiji|elected for a three-year term]], presided over by a [[Mayor]] chosen by the councillors from among their own members. On 15 February 2006, the government announced legislation to change the local government term of office from three years to four.

Provincial administration, and its subdivisions, cater for ethnic Fijians, town and city councils cater for urban residents of all races. Local authorities have also been established for rural areas, with advisory powers, and these provide a voice to people of all races outside the provincial structure. The Ministry of Regional Development ensures that Fiji's rural areas are provided with the access to opportunities and basic amenities that are enjoyed by the urban areas. This is done through its district administrations which are involved in community capacity building, coordinating the development projects like upgrading of rural roads, upgrading of cane access roads, development of roads for access to cash crops and other capital programs in their respective districts. They also attend to some statutory functions such as registration of births, deaths and marriages, liquor licences and acting as Third Class Magistrates.

== Districts ==
Fiji is divided into 17 districts, each with a district officer and five sub-districts with assistant district officers. The districts generally centre on towns and cities, but some follow provincial or tikina boundaries. The districts are: Ra, [[Tavua District, Fiji|Tavua]], [[Ba District, Fiji|Ba]], [[Nadi District, Fiji|Nadi]], Nadarivatu, Keiyasi, Nausori, [[Navua District, Fiji|Navua]], Vunidawa, Suva, Korovou, Macuata, Savusavu, Bua, Taveuni, Seaqaqa, Saqani, Tukavesi, Kadavu, [[Rotuma]], Lomaiviti, Lautoka.<ref>{{cite web |title=District Officers |url=http://www.regdev.gov.fj/dos.htm |website=Ministry of Regional Development |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614205924/http://www.regdev.gov.fj/dos.htm |archive-date=14 June 2004}}</ref>

== Towns and cities ==
{{Update|date=June 2015}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Location
! Founded
! Mayor (party)
! Councillors
! Area ({{km2}})
! Pop. (2017)
|-
|[[Ba (town)|Ba]]||1939||[[Parveen Bala]] (NFP)||[[Ba Town Council|15]]||327||13,825
|-
|[[Labasa]]||1939||Pradeep Singh (FLP)||[[Labasa Town Council|12]]||360||22,204
|-
|[[Lami, Fiji|Lami]]||1977||[[Tevita Buatalevu]] (SDL)||[[Lami Town Council|12]]||680||20,217
|-
|[[Lautoka]] (city)||1929||Rohit Kumar (FLP)||[[Lautoka City Council|16]]||1607||60,925
|-
|[[Levuka]]||1877||[[George Gibson (politician)|George Gibson]] ([[Balance Party (Fiji)|Balance]])||[[Levuka Town Council|8]]||67||3,277
|-
|[[Nadi]]||1946||[[Shalesh Mudliar]] (NFP)||[[Nadi Town Council|15]]||577||62,214
|-
|[[Nasinu]]||1999||[[Rajeshwar Kumar]] (FLP)||[[Nasinu Town Council|21]]||4500||79,782
|-
|[[Nausori]]||1931||[[Vikash Singh]] (NRA)||[[Nausori Town Council|12]]||167||50,398
|-
|[[Savusavu]]||1969||[[Ram Pillay]] (SRC)||9||800||5,494
|-
|[[Sigatoka, Fiji|Sigatoka]]||1959||[[Isikeli Tasere|Ratu Isikeli Tasere]] (SDL/NFP)||[[Sigatoka Town Council|10]]||127||8,940
|-
|[[Suva]] (city)||1881||Ratu [[Peni Volavola]] (SDL)||[[Suva City Council|20]]||2048||78,520
|-
|[[Tavua, Fiji|Tavua]]||1992||[[Chandra Singh]] (TRLTA)||[[Tavua Town Council|9]]||100||7,592
|-
|colspan=6|FLP: [[Fiji Labour Party]]; NFP: [[National Federation Party]]; NRA: Nausori Ratepayers' Association; {{br}} SDL: [[Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua]]; SRC: Savusavu Ratepayers and Citizens Party; {{br}} TRLTA: Tavua Ratepayers, Landowners, and Tenants Association
|}

==See also==
* [[ISO 3166-2:FJ]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.citypopulation.de/Fiji.html#i8613 Population statistics]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20001120040600/http://unescap.org/huset/lgstudy/country/fiji/fiji.html Local Government in Asia and the Pacific - Fiji]
* [http://www.clgf.org.uk/default/assets/File/Country_profiles/Fiji.pdf THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN Fiji]

{{Fiji topics}}
{{Oceania topic|Local government in}}
{{Political divisions of Fiji}}

[[Category:Local government in Fiji| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Fiji| ]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Fiji, Local government]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Oceania|Fiji]]
[[Category:Fiji politics-related lists|Local]]