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1643

1643

Events

- January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga
- February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands.
- May 14 - Four year-old Louis XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII. that is wrong - Louis comes to the throne in 1661
- May 19 - Battle of Rocroi: French victory over the Spanish at Rocroi, France.
- July 13 - English Civil War: Battle of Roundway Down - In England, Lord Henry Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, commanding the Royalist forces, wins a crushing victory over the Parliamentarian Sir William Waller.
- An Calbhach mac Aodha O Conchobhair Donn inaugurated as the last king of Connacht
- Austro-Bavarian army defeats French at Duttlingen.
- The Royalist forces supporting Charles I in the English Civil War win the Battle of Adwalton Moor and gain control of Yorkshire.
- End of the reign of Empress Meisho of Japan
- Emperor Go-Komyo ascends to the throne of Japan
- Evangelista Torricelli invents the mercury barometer
- New England Confederation is formed
- Battle of Tüttlingen fought
- Baden-Baden pillaged by the French
- John Colgan published the first two volumes of the Acta Sanctorum
- Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve places the first cross atop Mount Royal
- Åmål is granted its city charter
- Miyamoto Musashi dictates The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) to his student, completing it in 1654 just before his death
- Hong Taiji, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty of the Manchu dies and is succeeded by his five year-old son, the later Shunzhi Emperor of China.

Ongoing events

- English Civil War (1642-1649)

Births

- January 4 - Isaac Newton, mathematician and physicist (d. 1727)
- February 16 - John Sharp, English Archbishop of Yorkshire (d. 1714)
- February 25 - Ahmed II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1695)
- March 25 - Louis Moréri, French encylopedist (d. 1680)
- April 3 - Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, general of the Holy Roman Empire (d. 1690)
- May 7 - Stephanus Van Cortlandt, first native Mayor of New York (d. 1700)
- August 12 - King Afonso VI of Portugal (d. 1683)
- September 18 - Gilbert Burnet, Scottish Bishop of Salisbury (d. 1715)
- October 14 - Bahadur Shah I, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1712)
- November 1 - John Strype, English historian and biographer (d. 1737)
- November 22 - René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, French explorer (d. 1687)

Deaths

- February 25 - Marco da Gagliano, Italian composer (b. 1582)
- March 1 - Girolamo Frescobaldi, Italian composer (b. 1583)
- April 4 - Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian (b. 1583)
- April 20 - Christoph Demantius, German composer (b. 1567)
- May 14 - King Louis XIII of France (b. 1601)
- July 25 - Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull, English statesman (b. 1584)
- August 20 - Anne Hutchinson, English Puritan preacher (b. 1591)
- September 15 - Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, Irish politician (b. 1566)
- September 20 - Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland, English politician and writer
- September 27 - Solomon Stoddard, American minister
- November 3 - John Bainbridge, English astronomer (b. 1583)
- November 3 - Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (b. 1577)
- November 16 - Jean-Baptiste Budes, Comte de Guébriant, Marshal of France (b. 1602)
- November 29 - William Cartwright, English dramatist (b. 1611)
- November 29 - Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer (b. 1567)
- December 8 - John Pym, English statesman (b. 1583)
- Giovanni Baglione, Italian painter and historian of art (b. 1566)
- Herman Wrangel, Swedish soldier and politician
- Emperor Hong Taiji of China (b. 1592) See also :Category:1643 deaths. Category:1643 ko:1643년 ms:1643 simple:1643

January 21

January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 344 days remaining (345 in leap years).

Events

- 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
- 1276 - Innocent V becomes Pope.
- 1506 - The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards entered the Vatican.
- 1525 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manz's mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.
- 1643 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga.
- 1720 - Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm.
- 1789 - The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth, is printed in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1793 - After being found guilty for treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France is guillotined.
- 1793 - Russia and Prussia partition Poland.
- 1853 - Russell L. Hawes patents the envelope-folding machine.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
- 1864 - The Tauranga Campaign starts during the Maori Wars.
- 1887 - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed.
- 1887 - Brisbane receives a daily rainfall of 465 millimetres - a record for any Australian capital city.
- 1899 - Opel Motors opens for business.
- 1908 - New York City passes a law, the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public only to be vetoed by the mayor.
- 1911 - The first Monte Carlo Rally.
- 1915 - Kiwanis International founded in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1919 - Meeting in the Mansion House Dublin, the Sinn Féin adopts Ireland's first constitution.
- 1924 - Vladimir Lenin dies and Joseph Stalin begins to purge his rivals to clear way for his leadership.
- 1925 - Albania declares itself a republic.
- 1941 - World War II: Australian and British forces attack Tobruk, Libya.
- 1950 - Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
- 1954 - The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, then the First Lady of the United States.
- 1968 - Simon & Garfunkel release the Original Soundtrack to The Graduate, which quickly goes to #1 on the pop charts and which will bring Simon a Grammy for Best Original Score.
- 1969 - An experimental underground nuclear reactor at Lucens Vad, Switzerland, released radiation into a cavern, which was then sealed.
- 1976 - The first commercial service Concorde flight took off.
- 1977 - President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all Vietnam War draft evaders.
- 1994 - Lorena Bobbitt is found not-guilty by reason of temporary insanity for severing the penis of her husband John Bobbitt.
- 1997 - Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct.
- 1999 - War on Drugs: In one of the one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 9,500 pounds (4,300 kg) of cocaine on board.
- 2002 - Canadian Dollar sets all-time low against the US Dollar (US$0.6179).
- 2003 - The terms of Kevin Mitnick's parole allow him to use a computer again.
- 2004 - Canada: The residence of reporter, Juliet O'Neill was searched by the RCMP investigating leaks concerning the deportation of Maher Arar.
- 2004 - NASA's MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceased communication with mission control. The problem was with Flash Memory management and fixed remotely from Earth on Feb 6th.
- 2005 - In Belize's capital city, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots.

Births

- 1738 - Ethan Allen, American patriot (d. 1789)
- 1804 - Eliza Roxcy Snow, American poet (d. 1887)
- 1824 - Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, American Confederate Army general (d. 1863)
- 1829 - King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (d. 1907)
- 1848 - Henri Duparc, French composer (d. 1933)
- 1855 - John Moses Browning, American inventor (d. 1926)
- 1867 - Ludwig Thoma, German writer (d. 1921)
- 1867 - Maxime Weygand, French general (d. 1965)
- 1883 - Olav Aukrust, Norwegian poet (d. 1929)
- 1884 - Roger Baldwin, American social activist (d. 1981)
- 1885 - Umberto Nobile, Italian politician and airship designer (d. 1978)
- 1895 - Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish couturier (d. 1972)
- 1905 - Christian Dior, French fashion designer (d. 1957)
- 1905 - Karl Wallenda, German acrobat (d. 1978)
- 1912 - Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 2000)
- 1921 - Howard Unruh, American mass murderer
- 1922 - Paul Scofield, English actor
- 1924 - Telly Savalas, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1926 - Steve Reeves, American actor (d. 2000)
- 1936 - Koji Hashimoto, Japanese film director (d. 2005)
- 1938 - Altair Gomes de Figueiredo, Brazilian football player
- 1939 - Wolfman Jack, disk jockey and actor (d. 1995)
- 1940 - Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
- 1941 - Plácido Domingo, Spanish-born tenor
- 1941 - Richie Havens, American musician
- 1942 - Mac Davis, American musician
- 1942 - Edwin Starr, American singer (d. 2003)
- 1946 - Johnny Oates, baseball player and manager (d. 2004)
- 1950 - Billy Ocean, West Indian musician
- 1953 - Paul Allen, American entrepreneur
- 1955 - Jeff Koons, American artist
- 1956 - Robby Benson, American actor
- 1956 - Geena Davis, American actress
- 1962 - Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
- 1963 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigerian-born basketball player
- 1963 - Detlef Schrempf, German basketball player
- 1965 - Jam Master Jay, American disc jockey (d. 2002)
- 1968 - Charlotte Ross, American actress
- 1971 - Alan McManus, Scottish snooker player
- 1975 - Nicky Butt, English footballer
- 1976 - Emma Bunton, English singer (Spice Girls)
- 1977 - Philip Neville, English footballer
- 1979 - Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby player
- 1981 - Dany Heatley, German hockey player

Deaths

- 304 - Saint Agnes (martyred)
- 1118 - Pope Paschal II
- 1519 - Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Spanish explorer
- 1527 - Juan de Grijalva, Spanish conquistador
- 1546 - Azai Sukemasa, Japanese samurai and warlord (d. 1491)
- 1609 - Joseph Justus Scaliger, French protestant scholar (b. 1540)
- 1638 - Ignazio Donati, Italian composer
- 1683 - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, British politican (b. 1621)
- 1699 - Obadiah Walker, English writer (b. 1616)
- 1706 - Adrien Baillet, French scholar and critic (b. 1649)
- 1710 - Johann Georg Gichtel, German mystic (b. 1638)
- 1722 - Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, English supporter of William III of England (b. 1661)
- 1731 - Thomas Woolston, English theologian (b. 1669)
- 1766 - James Quin, English actor (b. 1693)
- 1773 - Alexis Piron, French writer (b. 1689)
- 1774 - Mustafa III, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1717)
- 1793 - King Louis XVI of France (executed) (b. 1754)
- 1795 - Samuel Wallis, English navigator
- 1831 - Achim von Arnim, German poet (b. 1781)
- 1851 - Albert Lortzing, German composer (b. 1801)
- 1870 - Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (b. 1812)
- 1872 - Franz Grillparzer, Austrian writer (b. 1791)
- 1881 - Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1802)
- 1891 - Calixa Lavallée, Canadian composer (b. 1842)
- 1901 - Elisha Gray, American inventor (b. 1835)
- 1914 - Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian artist (b. 1857)
- 1919 - Gojong of Joseon, Emperor of Korea (b. 1852)
- 1924 - Vladimir Lenin, Russian Revolutionary (b. 1870)
- 1926 - Camillo Golgi, Italian physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1843)
- 1928 - George Goethals, American army engineer (b. 1858)
- 1931 - Felix Blumenfeld, Russian composer and conductor (b. 1863)
- 1932 - Giles Lytton Strachey British writer (b. 1880)
- 1933 - George A. Moore, Irish novelist (b. 1852)
- 1948 - Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer (b. 1876)
- 1950 - George Orwell, British writer (b. 1903)
- 1955 - Archie Hahn, American athlete (b. 1880)
- 1959 - Cecil B. DeMille, American director (b. 1881)
- 1959 - Carl Switzer, American actor (b. 1927)
- 1961 - Blaise Cendrars, Swiss writer (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Ann Sheridan, American actress (b. 1915)
- 1984 - Jackie Wilson, American musician (b. 1934)
- 1985 - James Beard, American chef and author (b. 1903)
- 1987 - Charles Goodell, American politician (b. 1926)
- 1989 - Billy Tipton, American musician (b. 1914)
- 1993 - Charlie Gehringer, baseball player (b. 1903)
- 1997 - Colonel Tom Parker, American manager of Elvis Presley (b. 1909)
- 1998 - Jack Lord, American actor (b. 1920)
- 1999 - Susan Strasberg, American actress (b. 1938)
- 2001 - Byron De La Beckwith, American white supremacist (b. 1921)
- 2001 - Chung Ju-yung, Korean industrialist (b. 1915)
- 2002 - Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer (b. 1929)
- 2005 - Parveen Babi, Indian actress (b. 1955)
- 2005 - John L. Hess, American journalist (b. 1917)
- 2005 - Theun de Vries, Dutch writer (b. 1907)

Holidays and observances

- Catholicism - Feast day of Saint Agnes
- Mauritius - Thaipoosam Cavadee
- National Hugging Day

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/21 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 20 - January 22 - December 21 - February 21 — listing of all days ko:1월 21일 ms:21 Januari ja:1月21日 simple:January 21 th:21 มกราคม

Abel Tasman

Portrait of Tasman

Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - October 10, 1659), was a Dutch seafarer and explorer, born in Lutjegast, a village in the province of Groningen, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644, in the service of the VOC (Dutch East India Company). His was the first European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and New Zealand and the first to sight the Fiji islands, in 1643. He also mapped substantial portions of Australia. His task was to investigate the country then known as New Holland, now known as Australia, of which the Dutch had already discovered the west coast, and to determine whether it was part of Terra Australis. It was hoped by the VOC that he would thus locate a new unexploited continent for trade. To do so, on his first voyage (1642 to 1643) he sailed from Jakarta (then known as Batavia) with two small ships, the Heemskerck and the Zeehaen, first to Mauritius, and from there sailed east at a higher latitude than the Dutch had done before. This way, he completely missed mainland Australia, but did finally find land at the island of Tasmania on November 24. He named it Van Diemen's Land, but later British colonists would rename it after Tasman. After some investigation, he sailed further east, and discovered New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt on the theory that it was connected to a piece of land south of the tip of South America. He sailed north along its west coast. At the northern end of the South Island he anchored the ships in a bay, where four of his sailors were killed in his first and only encounter with the Māori. (Schools in New Zealand during the early 1950s taught that Abel Tasman mistook the Maori challenges blown on conch shells as a welcome and instructed his bugler to return the challenges, note for note. Hence the attack that night.) Tasman named it Murderers' Bay (now known as Golden Bay) and sailed north, but mistook Cook Strait for a bight (naming it Zeehaen's Bight), believing Staten Landt to be a single land, and part of Terra Australis. En route back to Batavia, he came across the Tonga archipelago on January 21, 1643. Two names that he bestowed on New Zealand landmarks still endure: Cape Maria Van Diemen and Three Kings Islands. Three Kings Islands On his second voyage, in 1644, he followed the south coast of New Guinea eastward. He missed the Torres Strait between New Guinea and Australia, and continued his voyage along the Australian coast. He mapped the north coast of Australia. From the point of view of the VOC, Tasman's explorations were a disappointment: He had neither found a promising area for trade nor a useful new shipping route. For over a century (until the era of James Cook), Tasmania and New Zealand were not again visited by Europeans. Australia was visited, but usually only by accident. As with many explorers, Tasman's name has been honored in many places. These include:
- the island of Tasmania, including features such as
- the Tasman Peninsula
- the Tasman Bridge
- the Tasman Highway
- the passenger/vehicle ferry Abel Tasman
- the Tasman Sea
- in New Zealand, the Tasman Glacier and the Abel Tasman National Park

External link

- [http://web.archive.org/web/20021004115657/http://www.lexicon.net/world/tasman/bhouse.htm A transcript of a paper on the voyages of Tasman, read to the Royal Society of Tasmania in 1895.] Tasman, Abel Tasman, Abel Tasman, Abel Tasman, Abel Tasman, Abel simple:Abel Tasman

Tonga

:See Tonga (disambiguation) for alternative meanings. The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean, about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii. It lies south of Samoa and east of Fiji. Fiji Fiji

History

Main article: History of Tonga Archaeological evidence shows that the first settlers in Tonga sailed from the Santa Cruz Islands, as part of the original Austronesian-speakers' (Lapita) migration which originated out of S.E. Asia some 6000 years before present. Archaeological dating places Tonga as the oldest known site in Polynesia for the distinctive Lapita ceramic ware, at 2800-2750 years before present. The "Lapita" people lived and sailed, traded, warred, and intermarried in the islands now known as Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji for 1000 years, before more explorers set off to the east to discover the Marquesas, Tahiti, and eventually the rest of the Pacific Ocean islands. For this reason, Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji are described by anthropologists as the cradle of Polynesian culture and civilization. By the 12th century, Tongans, and the Tongan paramount chief, the Tu'i Tonga, were known across the Pacific, from Niue to Tikopia, sparking some historians to refer to a 'Tongan Empire'. A network of interacting navigators, chiefs, and adventurers might be a better term although the empire did have its own dynasties. It could be compared to the Scandinavian kingdoms and the Vikings. In the 15th century and again in the 17th, civil war erupted. It was in this context that the first Europeans arrived, beginning with Dutch explorers Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire in 1616, who called on the northern island of Niuatoputapu, and Abel Tasman, who visited Tongatapu and Ha'apai in 1643. Later noteworthy European visits were by Captain Cook in 1773, 1774, and 1777, the first London missionaries in 1797, and the Wesleyan Methodist Walter Lawry Buller in 1822. Tonga was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845 by the ambitious young warrior, strategist, and orator Taufa'ahau. He held the chiefly title of Tu'i Kanokupolu, but was baptised with the name King George. In 1875, with the help of missionary Shirley Baker, he declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy, at which time he emancipated the 'serfs', enshrined a code of law, land tenure, and freedom of the press, and limited the power of the chiefs. Tonga became a British protected state under a Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second king. The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended in 1970 under arrangements established prior to her death by the third monarch, Queen Salote. Tonga joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970, and the United Nations in 1999. While exposed to colonial forces, Tonga has never lost indigenous governance, a fact that makes Tonga unique in the Pacific and gives Tongans much pride, as well as confidence in the monarchal system. The British High Commission in Tonga is scheduled to close in 2005. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/21/wtonga21.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/21/ixworld.html]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Tonga Tonga is a monarchy. The reverence for the kingship is likened to that held in prior centuries for the sacred paramount chief, the Tu'i Tonga. Criticism of the monarch is held to be antithetical to Tongan culture and etiquette. A direct descendant of the first monarch, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, his family, some powerful nobles, and a growing non-royal caste of elites live in much wealth, with the rest of the country living in relative poverty. The effects of this disparity are mitigated by three factors: education, medicine, and land tenure. Tonga's education system is free and mandatory for all children up to age twelve, with very nominal fees for secondary education, and foreign-funded scholarships for post-secondary education. Tongans are well-educated, with a 98% literacy rate, and higher education up to and including medical and graduate degrees. Tongans also have universal access to a socialized medicine system. Tongan land is constitutionally protected and cannot be sold to foreigners (although it may be leased). While there is a land shortage on the urbanized main island of Tongatapu (where 60% of the population resides), there is farm land available in the rural islands. The majority of the population engages in some form of subsistence production of food, with approximately half producing almost all of their basic food needs through farming, sea harvesting, and animal husbandry. Women and men have equal access to education and health care, and are fairly equal in employment, but women are discriminated against in land holding, electoral politics, and government ministries. There is a pro-democracy movement in Tonga, which emphasises reforms including better representation in the Parliament for the majority commoners, and better accountability in matters of state. An overthrow of the monarchy itself is not part of the movement and the institution of monarchy continues to hold popular support, even while reforms are advocated. Until recently, the governance issue was generally ignored by the leaders of other countries, but major aid donors and neighbours New Zealand and Australia are now expressing concerns about some Tongan government actions. Following the precedents of Queen Salote, and with numerous international advisors, the government of Tonga under King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV has monetized the economy, internationalized the medical and education system, and enabled access by commoners to increasing forms of material wealth (houses, cars, and other commodities), education, and overseas travel. The government has supported Olympic and other international sports competition, and contributed Peacekeepers to the United Nations (notably to Bougainville). The Tongan government also supported the American 'coalition of the willing' action in Iraq, and a small number of Tongan soldiers were deployed, as part of an American force, to Iraq in late 2004. However, the contingent of 40+ troops returned home on December 17, 2004. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_orbat_coalition.htm] King Taufa'ahau and his government have made some problematic economic decisions, and are accused of millions of dollars in incompetent spending. The problems have mostly been related to trying to increase national revenues through odd-ball schemes. This has included searching for oil (despite geological reports indicating no possible oil), considering making Tonga a nuclear waste disposal site (an idea floated in the mid-90s by the current crown prince), selling Tongan Protected Persons Passports (which eventually forced Tonga to nationalize the purchasers, sparking ethnicity based concerns within Tonga), registering foreign ships (which proved to be engaged in illegal activities), claiming geo-orbital satellite slots (the revenue from which seems to belong to the Princess Royale, not the state), holding a long-term charter on an unusable Boeing 757 (that was sidelined in Auckland Airport), building an airport hotel and potential casino with an Interpol-accused criminal, and approving a factory for exporting cigarettes to China (against the advice of Tongan medical officials, and decades of health promotion messaging). The King has proved vulnerable to speculators with big promises, and lost several million (reportedly $US26) on a financial advisor who called himself the King's Court Jester. The police have imprisoned pro-democracy leaders, and the government repeatedly confiscated the newspaper The Tongan Times (which was printed in New Zealand and sold in Tonga) because the editor had been vocally critical of the King's mistakes. Notably, the Kele'a, produced specifically to critique the government and printed in Tonga by pro-democracy leader 'Akilisi Pohiva, was not banned during that time. Pohiva however, had been subjected to harassment in the form of frequent lawsuits. Court Jester In mid-2003, the government passed a radical constitutional amendment to "Tonganize" the press, by licensing and limiting freedom of the press, so as to protect the image of the monarchy. The amendment was defended by government and royalists on the basis of traditional cultural values. Licensure criteria include 80% ownership by Tongans living in the country. As of February 2004, those papers denied licenses under the new act included the Taimi 'o Tonga (Tongan Times), the Kele'a and the Matangi Tonga, while those which were permitted licenses were uniformly church based or pro-government. The bill was opposed, in the form of a several-thousand-strong protest march in the capital, a call by the Tu'i Pelehake (a prince, nephew of the King and elected member of parliament) for Australia and other nations to pressure the Tongan government to democratize the electoral system, and a legal writ calling for a judicial investigation of the bill. The latter was supported by some 160 signatories, including seven of the nine elected "People's Representatives". The strong-arm tactics and gaffes have overshadowed the good the now aged king has done in his lifetime, as well as the many beneficial reforms of his popular son and Prime Minister, 'Ulukalala Lavaka 'Ata. The Crown Prince, Tupouto'a, and Pilolevu, the Princess Royale, remained generally silent on the issue. In total, the changes threatened to destabilize the polity, fraction support for the status quo, and place further pressure on the monarchy.

Kings and Queens of Tonga

Geography

Main article: Geography of Tonga Tonga is an archipelago directly south of Western Samoa. Its 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited, are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu – and cover an 800-kilometer (500 miles)-long north–south line. The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nuku'alofa is located, covers 257 square kilometers (99 sq mi). Geologically the Tongan islands are of two types: most have a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations; others consist of limestone overlaying a volcanic base. The climate is basically subtropical with a distinct warm period (December–April), during which the temperatures rise above 32 °C (90 °F), and a cooler period (May–November), with temperatures rarely rising above 27 °C (80 °F). The temperature increases from 23 °C to 27 °C (74 °F to 80 °F), and the annual rainfall is from 1700 to 2970 millimeters (67 to 117 in) as one moves from Tongatapu in the south to the more northerly islands closer to the Equator. The mean daily humidity is 80%.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Tonga Tonga's economy is characterized by a large nonmonetary sector and a heavy dependence on remittances from the half of the country's population that lives abroad, chiefly in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Much of the monetary sector of the economy is dominated, if not owned, by the royal family and nobles. This is particularly true of the telecommunications and satellite services. Much of small business, particularly retailing on Tongatapu, is now dominated by recent Chinese immigrants who arrived under a cash-for-passports scheme ended in 1998. The manufacturing sector consists of handicrafts and a few other very smallscale industries, all of which contribute only about 3% of GDP. Commercial business activities also are inconspicuous and, to a large extent, are dominated by the same large trading companies found throughout the South Pacific. In September 1974, the country's first commercial trading bank, the Bank of Tonga, opened. Rural Tongans rely on plantation and subsistence agriculture. Coconuts, vanilla beans, and bananas are the major cash crops. The processing of coconuts into copra and desiccated coconut is the only significant industry. Pigs and poultry are the major types of livestock. Horses are kept for draft purposes, primarily by farmers working their api. More cattle are being raised, and beef imports are declining. Tonga's development plans emphasize a growing private sector, upgrading agricultural productivity, revitalizing the squash and vanilla bean industries, developing tourism, and improving the island's communications and transportation systems. Substantial progress has been made, but much work remains to be done. A small but growing construction sector is developing in response to the inflow of aid monies and remittances from Tongans abroad. The copra industry is plagued by world prices that have been depressed for years. Efforts are being made to discover ways to diversify. One hope is seen in fisheries; tests have shown that sufficient skipjack tuna pass through Tongan waters to support a fishing industry. Another potential development activity is exploitation of forests, which cover 35% of the kingdom's land area but are decreasing as land is cleared. Coconut trees past their prime bearing years also provide a potential source of lumber. The tourist industry is relatively undeveloped; however, the government recognizes that tourism can play a major role in economic development, and efforts are being made to increase this source of revenue. Cruise ships often stop in Nuku'alofa and Vava'u.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Tonga Almost two-thirds of the population of the Kingdom of Tonga live on its main island, Tongatapu. Although an increasing number of Tongans have moved into the only urban and commercial center, Nuku'alofa, where European and indigenous cultural and living patterns have blended, village life and kinship ties continue to be important throughout the country. Everyday life is heavily influenced by Polynesian traditions and especially by the Christian faith; for example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath to be sacred, forever. Tongans, a Polynesian group with a very small mixture of Melanesian, represent more than 98% of the inhabitants. The rest are European, mixed European, and other Pacific Islanders. There also are several hundred Chinese. Primary education between ages 6 and 14 is compulsory and free in state schools. Mission schools provide about 83% of the primary and 90% of the secondary level education. Higher education includes teacher training, nursing and medical training, a small private university, a women's business college, and a number of private agricultural schools. Most higher education is pursued overseas.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Tonga
- Music of Tonga
- Kava culture
- Tupenu

Trivia

- On either his 1773 or 1777 visit, Captain Cook presented a tortoise to the king. This tortoise, known thereafter as Tui Malila, lived to be either 188 or 192 years old. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest animal (kingdom Animalia) on record.
- In 1972, the military of Tonga took over the micronation Republic of Minerva, which had created an artificial island on the Minerva reefs.
- Many Tongans have immigrated to the United States to seek employment and a higher standard of living. U.S. cities with significant Tongan American populations include East Palo Alto, California, Oakland, California, Los Angeles, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Euless, Texas (near Dallas).

External links

- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tn.html CIA World Factbook: Tonga]
- [http://www.lands.gov.to/tiki/tiki-index.php Interactive maps of Tonga]
- [http://www.mapsouthpacific.com/tonga/index.html Map of Tonga]
- [http://www.govt.to/ Official Tongan Government Portal] Category:Monarchies Category:Oceanic countries Category:Polynesia
- zh-min-nan:Tonga ko:통가 ms:Tonga ja:トンガ simple:Tonga th:ประเทศตองกา

February 6

February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 328 days remaining, 329 in leap years.

Events

- 337 - Julius I is elected pope.
- 1778 - American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
- 1788 - Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
- 1806 - Royal Navy victory off Santo Domingo - Action of 6 February 1806.
- 1815 - New Jersey grants the first American railroad charter to a John Stevens.
- 1819 - Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.
- 1820 - The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society started a settlement in present-day Liberia
- 1840 - Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, founding document of New Zealand.
- 1843 - The first minstrel show in the United States The Virginia Minstrels opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
- 1862 - American Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant gives the United States its first victory of the war, by capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee, known as the Battle of Fort Henry.
- 1899 - Spanish-American War: The Treaty of Paris (1898), a peace treaty between the United States and Spain is ratified by the United States Senate.
- 1900 - The international arbitration court at The Hague is created when the Netherlands' Senate ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
- 1922 - Achille Ratti becomes Pope Pius XI.
- 1922 - The Washington Naval Treaty was signed in Washington, DC, limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
- 1933 - The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution goes into effect.
- 1936 - 1936 Winter Olympic Games open in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
- 1951 - The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one on the worst rail disasters in American history.
- 1952 - Elizabeth II becomes Queen upon the death of her father George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse in a tree-top hotel in Kenya.
- 1958 - Bobby Charlton survived the Munich air disaster in Germany, which killed eight of his teammates with Manchester United F.C.
- 1959 - Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.
- 1959 - At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
- 1968 - 1968 Winter Olympic Games open in Grenoble, France.
- 1978 - The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of 4" an hour.
- 1985 - Steve Wozniak leaves Apple Computer
- 1996 - A Turkish Airlines Boeing 757 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Dominican Republic killing 189
- 1998 - Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
- 2004 - In Russia, a suicide-attack in a Moscow metro kills 40 commuters, and injures a hundred and twenty-nine. The blast is blamed on Chechen separatist groups.
- 2005 - Super Bowl XXXIX: The New England Patriots win their third title in four years by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21.
- 2005 - Jerrick De Leon, born 13 weeks premature, becomes the world's smallest infant to survive an open-heart procedure called an arterial switch.

Births

- 1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English playwright (d. 1593)
- 1577 - Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman who conspired to kill her father (d. 1599)
- 1608 - Antonio Vieira, Portuguese writer (d. 1697)
- 1611 - Chongzhen, Emperor of China (d. 1644)
- 1639 - Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and scholar (d. 1691)
- 1664 - Mustafa II, Ottoman Sultan (d, 1703)
- 1665 - Queen Anne I of the United Kingdom (d. 1714)
- 1695 - Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1726)
- 1744 - Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)
- 1748 - Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati (d. 1811)
- 1756 - Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)
- 1833 - JEB Stuart, American Confederate general (d. 1864)
- 1834 - Ema Puksec, Croatian singer (d. 1889)
- 1853 - Ignacij Klemenčič, Slovenian physicist (d. 1901)
- 1887 - Josef Frings, German Archbishop of Cologne (d. 1978)
- 1892 - William Parry Murphy, American physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1987)
- 1894 - Eric Partridge, New Zealand lexicographer (d. 1979)
- 1895 - Babe Ruth, baseball player (d. 1948)
- 1899 - Ramon Novarro, Mexican actor (d. 1968)
- 1901 - Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)
- 1902 - George Brunies, American musician (d. 1974)
- 1903 - Claudio Arrau, Chilean-born pianist (d. 1991)
- 1905 - Władysław Gomułka, Polish leader (d. 1982)
- 1910 - Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)
- 1910 - Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-born gangster (d. 1993)
- 1911 - Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)
- 1912 - Eva Braun, German mistress of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)
- 1913 - Mary Leakey, British anthropologist (d. 1996)
- 1914 - Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor (d. 2005)
- 1917 - Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian actress
- 1918 - Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author
- 1922 - Bill Johnston, Australian cricketer
- 1922 - Patrick Macnee, British actor
- 1922 - Denis Norden, British television abd radio personality and scriptwriter
- 1926 - Haskell Wexler, American cinematographer
- 1929 - Pierre Brice, French actor
- 1931 - Rip Torn, American actor and director
- 1931 - Mamie Van Doren, American actress
- 1932 - Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban revolutionary (d. 1959)
- 1932 - François Truffaut, French film director (d. 1984)
- 1939 - Mike Farrell, American actor
- 1940 - Tom Brokaw, American news anchorman
- 1943 - Fabian Forte, American singer
- 1943 - Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress
- 1945 - Bob Marley, Jamaican singer and musician (d. 1981)
- 1946 - Jim Turner, American politician
- 1949 - Jim Sheridan, Irish film director
- 1950 - Natalie Cole, American singer
- 1951 - Marco Antonio, Brazilian footballer
- 1954 - Argusto Emfazie, American occultist and author
- 1956 - Kristoffer-Oscar Alexander Lövmür Angebretsen, Norwegian politician
- 1957 - Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedian
- 1957 - Robert Townsend, American comedian, actor, director, and producer
- 1958 - Barry Miller, American actor
- 1960 - Megan Gallagher, American actress
- 1962 - Axl Rose, American singer (Guns N' Roses)
- 1966 - Rick Astley, British singer
- 1972 - David Binn, American football player
- 1975 - Svend-Allan Sørensen, Danish artist
- 1976 - Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast
- 1984 - Darren Bent, English footballer
- 1991 - Kara Borden, American Causes Celebre
- 1991 - Brett R. Cohen, Great American Citizen

Deaths

- 891 - Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople
- 1378 - Jeanne de Bourbon, queen of Charles V of France (b. 1338)
- 1497 - Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer
- 1515 - Aldus Manutius, Italian printer
- 1585 - Edmund Plowden, English legal scholar (b. 1518)
- 1593 - Jacques Amyot, French writer (b. 1513)
- 1593 - Emperor Ogimachi of Japan (b. 1517)
- 1617 - Prospero Alpini, Italian scientist (b. 1553)
- 1685 - King Charles II of England (b. 1630)
- 1740 - Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)
- 1775 - William Dowdeswell, English politician (b. 1721)
- 1783 - Capability Brown, English landscape gardener (b. 1716)
- 1793 - Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright (b. 1707)
- 1799 - Étienne-Louis Boullée, French architect (b. 1728)
- 1833 - Pierre André Latreille, French entomologist (b. 1762)
- 1834 - Richard Lemon Lander, British explorer (d. 1804)
- 1855 - Josef Munzinger, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1791)
- 1916 - Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan writer (b. 1867)
- 1918 - Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter (b. 1862)
- 1950 - Georges Imbert, Alsatian chemist (b. 1884
- 1952 - King George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)
- 1976 - Vince Guaraldi, American musician (b. 1928)
- 1986 - Minoru Yamasaki, American architect (b. 1912)
- 1989 - Roy Eldridge, American musician (b. 1911)
- 1989 - Chris Gueffroy, last person killed escaping over the Berlin wall (b. 1968)
- 1989 - Barbara Tuchman, American historian (b. 1912)
- 1991 - Salvador Luria, Italian-born biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1912)
- 1991 - Danny Thomas, American singer, comedian, and actor (b. 1914)
- 1993 - Arthur Ashe, American tennis player (b. 1943)
- 1993 - Joseph Mankiewicz, American director, producer, and writer (b. 1909)
- 1994 - Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1994 - Jack Kirby, American comic book writer (b. 1917)
- 1995 - James Merrill, American poet (b. 1926)
- 1996 - Guy Madison, American actor (b. 1922)
- 1998 - Falco, Austrian singer (b. 1957)
- 1998 - Carl Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (b. 1946)
- 2002 - Max Perutz, Austrian-born molecular biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1914)
- 2005 - Lazar Berman, Russian pianist (b. 1930)

Holidays and Observances

- Feast day of Saint Paul Miki and companions
- National holiday for the Sami people
- Waitangi Day - New Zealand

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/6 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050206.html The New York Times: On This Day] ---- February 5 - February 7 - January 6 - March 6 -- listing of all days February 06 ko:2월 6일 ms:6 Februari ja:2月6日 simple:February 6 th:6 กุมภาพันธ์

Fiji

:For the fraternity, see Phi Gamma Delta. The Republic of the Fiji Islands, or Fiji, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited; in addition, there are some 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for some 87 percent of the total population. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is turn derived from the Fijian name Viti.

History

Main article: History of Fiji History of Fiji The first inhabitants of Fiji arrived from South East Asia long before contact with European explorers in the 17th century. [http://humanities.cqu.edu.au/history/52148/modules/pacific_peoplesA.html This academic question] of Pacific migration still lingers. [http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=ch285bg7t494l?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Abel+Tasman&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc05b&linktext=Abel%20Tasman It is documented] that Fiji was discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in an attempt to find the Great Southern Continent in 1643. It was not until the 19th century, however, that Europeans came to the islands to [http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_history settle] there permanently. The islands came under British control as a colony in 1874. It was granted independence in 1970. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indo-Fijian (Indian) community. A 1990 constitution guaranteed ethnic Fijian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian. A year later, this was deposed in a coup led by George Speight, a hardline Fijian nationalist. Democracy was restored towards the end of 2000, and Laisenia Qarase, who had led an interim government in the meantime, was elected Prime Minister. Fiji's membership of the Commonwealth of Nations was suspended due to the anti-democratic activities connected with the 2000 coup. For a country of its size, Fiji has exceptionally capable armed forces, and has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Fiji

Executive authority

Main article: Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 7 Fiji's Head of State is the President, who is elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term. Although his role is largely an honorary one, modelled after that of the British monarchy, the President has certain "reserve powers" that may be used only in the event of a national crisis. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Great Council of Chiefs recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as its Paramount Chief, in respect as a nation within the Commonwealth of Nations. The president formally appoints the Prime Minister, who must be able to rely on the support of a majority in the House of Representatives. In practice, that means that the leader of the largest political party or coalition normally becomes Prime Minister, rendering the President's role in the appointment little more than a formality. Sometimes, however, Parliament may become deadlocked, as a result of electoral fragmentation or party splits. In such cases, the President takes on the role of arbitrator, and after consulting with all the political factions, must appoint as Prime Minister the person he judges to be the most acceptable to the majority in the House of Representatives. On the Prime Minister's nomination, the President formally appoints a Cabinet of around ten to twenty five ministers, who exercise executive authority. According to the constitution, the Cabinet is supposed to reflect the political composition of the House of Representatives, with every party holding more than 8 seats in the House entitled to proportionate representation in the Cabinet. In practice, this rule has never been strictly implemented.

Legislative authority

Main article: Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 6 Fiji's Parliament is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 71 members. 25 of these are elected by universal suffrage. The remaining 46 are reserved for Fiji's ethnic communities and are elected from communal electoral rolls: 23 Fijians, 19 Indo-Fijians, 1 Rotuman, and 3 "General electors" (Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities). The upper chamber of the parliament, the Senate, has 32 members, formally appointed by the President on the nomination of the Great Council of Chiefs (14), the Prime Minister (9), the Leader of the Opposition (8), and the Council of Rotuma (1). Less powerful than the House of Representatives, the Senate may not initiate legislation, but it may reject or amend it.

Judicial authority

Main article: Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 9 Judicial power is vested in three courts (the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court) established by the Constitution, which also makes provision for other courts to be set up by Parliament. The High Court and the Supreme Court are both presided over by the Chief Justice (currently Daniel Fatiaki); the Chief Justice is barred, however, from membership of the Court of Appeal, which has its own President (currently Jai Ram Reddy). The Appeal Court has the power "to hear and determine appeals" from judgements of the High Court; decisions of this court may be further appealed to the Supreme Court, whose decision is final.

Local government

Main article: Local government of Fiji Fiji is divided into four parts, called divisions (capitals in parentheses):
- Central Division (Suva)
- Northern Division (Labasa)
- Eastern Division (Levuka)
- Western Division (Lautoka) These divisions are further subdivided into fourteen provinces. Additionally, the island of Rotuma, north of the main archipelago, has the status of a dependency. It is officially included in the Eastern Division for statistical purposes, but administratively has a degree of internal autonomy. Municipal governments, with City and Town Councils presided over by Mayors, have been established in Suva, Lautoka, and ten other towns.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Fiji Geography of Fiji Fiji consists of 322 islands, of which 106 are inhabited, and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three quarters of the population. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1200 meters, and covered with tropical forests. Other important towns include Nadi, (the location of the international airport) and Lautoka. The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just outside Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, outside of Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 500 kilometers north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Fiji Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry—with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually—are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity. Long-term problems include low investment and uncertain property rights. The political turmoil in Fiji has had a severe impact on the economy, which shrank by 2.8% in 2000 and grew by only 1% in 2001. The tourism sector recovered quickly, however, with visitor arrivals reaching pre-coup levels again during 2002, which has since resulted in a modest economic recovery. The government's ability to manage its budget—which ran a net deficit of 6% in 2002—is dependent on a return of political stability and investor confidence. The tallest building in Fiji is the 14-story Reserve Bank of Fiji Building in Suva.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Fiji

Ethnic Groups

The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, a people of mixed Polynesian and Melanesian ancestory (54.3%), and Indo-Fijians (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century. The percentage of the population of Indian descent has declined significantly over the last two decades because of emigration. About 1.2 percent are Rotuman—natives of Rotuma Island, whose culture has more in common with countries such as Tonga or Samoa than with the rest of Fiji. There are also small, but economically significant, groups of Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities. Relationships between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians have often been strained, and the tension between the two communities has dominated politics in the islands for the past generation. The level of tension varies between different regions of the country.

Language

Three official languages are prescribed by the constitution: English, which was introduced by the former British colonial rulers, Bau Fijian, spoken by ethnic Fijians, and Hindustani, the main language spoken by Indo-Fijians. Citizens of Fiji have the constitutional right to communicate with any government agency in any of the official languages, with an interpreter to be supplied on request. The use of English is one of the most enduring legacies of almost a century of British rule. Widely spoken by both ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians, English is the main medium of communication between the two communities, as well as with the outside world. It is the language in which the government conducts most of its business, and is the main language of education, commerce, and the courts. Fijian belongs to the Austronesian family of languages. Fijian proper is closely related to the Polynesian languages, such as Tongan. There are many dialects, but the official standard is the speech of Bau, the most politically and militarily powerful of the many indigenous kingdoms of the 19th Century. "Hindustani" is considered an umbrella term in India for the standard languages Hindi (preferred by Hindus) and Urdu (preferred by Muslims), as well as many closely related tongues that are sometimes considered separate languages. Fijian Hindustani descends from one of the eastern forms of Hindustani, called Awadhi. It has developed some unique features that differentiate it from the Awadhi spoken on the Indian subcontinent, although not to the extent of hindering mutual understanding. It is spoken by nearly the entire Indo-Fijian community regardless of ancestry, except for a few elders. In addition to the three official languages, several other languages are spoken. On the island of Rotuma, Rotuman is used; this is more distantly related to the Polynesian languages than Fijian. Some Fijian dialects, especially in the west of the country, differ markedly from the official Bau standard, and would be considered separate languages if they had a codified grammar or a literary tradition. Among the Indo-Fijian community, there is a small -speaking community, and a few older Indo-Fijians still speak Telugu and Tamil, with smaller numbers of Bihari, Bengali, and others. In the Fijian alphabet, some of the letters have unique values. For one, the "c" is a voiced "th" sound, . (For example, the name of Fiji-born New Zealand rugby player Joe Rokocoko is often mis-pronounced. The correct pronunciation is IPA: [rokoðoko].) Another difference is that the letters "b" and "d" are always pronounced with a nasal before them, , even at the beginning of a word. The "q" is pronounced like a "g" with a nasal "ng" before it, as in the word "finger", while the "g" is pronounced like the "ng" of the word "singer", .

Religion

Religion is one of the faultlines between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, with the former overwhelmingly Christian (99.2 percent at the 1996 census), and the latter mostly Hindu (76.7 percent) or Muslim (15.9 percent). The largest Christian denomination is the Methodist Church. With 36.2 percent of the total population (including almost two-thirds of ethnic Fijians), its share of the population is higher in Fiji than in any other nation. Roman Catholics (8.9 percent), the Assemblies of God (4 percent), and Seventh-day Adventists (2.9 percent) are also significant. These and others denominations also have small numbers of Indo-Fijian members; Christians of all kinds comprise 6.1 percent of the Indo-Fijian population. Hindus belong mostly to the Sanatan sect (74.3 percent of all Hindus) or else are unspecified (22 percent). The small Arya Samaj sect claims the membership of some 3.7 percent of all Hindus in Fiji. Muslims are mostly Sunni (59.7 percent) or unspecified (36.7 percent), with an Ahmadiya minority (3.6 percent) regarded as heretical by more orthodox Muslims. The Sikh faith comprises 0.9 percent of the Indo-Fijian population, or 0.4 percent of the national population in Fiji. Their ancestors came from the Punjab region of India.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Fiji See also: Music of Fiji, Festivals in Fiji

Miscellaneous topics

- List of Fiji-related topics
- List of Fijians
- Communications in Fiji
- Transportation in Fiji
- Military of Fiji
- Foreign relations of Fiji

External links

- [http://www.fijivoices.com/ Fiji Voices -