Viti Levu Island

Viti Levu Island

The largest island in Fiji is Viti Levu. It is home to the country's capital, Suva, and is where the vast majority of Fiji's population lives. The city has an excellent harbor. Located on the northwest coast, Lautoka is the port of the sugar cane producing region. Sugar, pineapple, rice and tobacco are grown in the fertile valleys and deltas of the Navua, Rewa and Sigatoka rivers. The Vatukoula gold field in the north-central part of the island was first explored in the 1930s. The city of Nadi in the west is home to the country's main international airport, while nearby Vunda Point is home to an oil and fuel installation. The island has a length of 146 kilometers, a width of 106 kilometers and an area of 10 389 square kilometers, and due to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it has a somewhat rugged topography and is divided into roughly equal parts by a north-south mountain range. The island's center is forested and home to the country's highest peak, Mount Tomanivi, also known as Mount Victoria, which stands at 1,324 meters. Rainfall is heavy in the east of the island, especially in the mountains, and Fiji's tropical moist forests are found here. The western side is in the rain shadow of the mountain range and is noticeably drier, with the tropical dry forests of Fiji. As a result, sugar cane production is booming in the West, and the dairy industry is developing in the East. Viti Levu Island is home to one of the world's largest insects, the Giant Fijian Long-Horned Beetle.