Our series on Autonomous Territories takes us to Rotuma, a small island territory that is part of the Republic of Fiji.
The Fiji Islands are a group of two large islands, Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, and many smaller islands and islets located in the Western Pacific region. They stand at the juncture of two major cultural worlds: the Melanesians and the Polynesians. As such, their cultural traits borrow from both groups. Also, one century of British domination has brought many immigrants, mostly coming from South Asia. These now form about 40% of the population.
Rotuma is a small island with about 1500 residents, located about 500km to the Northwest of Vanua Levu. Unlike the main Fiji group, its population is exclusively of Polynesian extraction. This difference led Rotumans to envision separation after the independence of Fiji in 1970, and in 1987, independence was declared, but the central government retained control and the matter was settled with increased autonomy.
More on Rotuma
Rotuma in 2022
