The country of Fiji is a set of Islands in the South Pacific. The original settlers of Fiji were Polynesian and Melanesian peoples who have lived on the islands for thousands of years.
In the first part of the 19th century, Europeans arrived on the islands. The tribal groups on the islands began to war and finally the local chiefs decided to give the islands to Britain in 1874 in an effort to restore peace.
Fiji was a British colony for around 100 years when in 1970 it became an independent country. Since becoming independent, Fiji has experienced times of democracy and military dictatorship. In 2006 Commodore Frank Bainimarama led a military coup and took over the country. He has ruled Fiji without free elections since.
