Fiji Banded Iguana
This bright green lizard with pale stripes lives only in Fiji and a few nearby islands, making it one of the rarest iguanas on earth.
Flag of Fiji
Field Report
Fiji is a nation of hundreds of tropical islands sitting in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii. If you looked at a world map and found Australia, then moved your finger northeast across a wide stretch of blue ocean, you would land near Fiji. About 900,000 people live there, speaking Fijian and Hindi alongside English, and they are known across the world for welcoming strangers with a warm and genuine greeting — bula.
From the Field Notebook
Fiji Banded Iguana
This bright green lizard with pale stripes lives only in Fiji and a few nearby islands, making it one of the rarest iguanas on earth.
Collared Lory
A small parrot with vivid red, purple, and green feathers, the collared lory sips nectar from flowering trees across the Fijian islands.
Fiji Crested Iguana
Larger than its banded cousin, this prehistoric-looking iguana has a spiky crest along its back and lives on a handful of dry, forested islands in Fiji.
Kokoda
Fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juice until firm, then mixed with coconut cream and vegetables — it is tangy, creamy, and eaten cold.
Lovo
Meat, fish, and root vegetables wrapped in leaves and slow-cooked in a pit of hot stones underground, giving everything a smoky, tender flavor.
Cassava Cake
Made from grated cassava root mixed with coconut cream and sugar, this dense, slightly chewy cake is baked for celebrations and everyday family meals alike.
Fiji is made up of more than 330 islands scattered across the South Pacific Ocean, but fewer than 110 of those islands actually have people living on them.
Fijians traditionally greet guests with a ceremony called sevusevu, in which visitors present a gift of dried kava root to the village chief as a sign of respect.
The Fijian word for eating, kana, also means to consume or enjoy something fully, which gives you a hint about how central sharing food is to Fijian life.
Fiji sits so close to the International Date Line that it is one of the first countries in the world to begin each new calendar day.
Rugby sevens — a fast seven-player version of rugby — is so beloved in Fiji that when the national team won Olympic gold in 2016, the government declared a national holiday.
Daily Life
67
Years life expectancy
97%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Fiji is home to 31 distinct people groups — 1 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
A majority of Fiji's people follow Christianity (64.2%). Evangelical Christians make up about 26.5% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Urdu
4,700 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.