Suva, capital and largest city of the Fiji Islands (often referred to simply as Fiji). Located in Rewa Province, Suva is on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu Island, on Suva Point, near the mouth of the Rewa River. It is Fiji's chief seaport, with excellent harbor facilities. The port is a primary stop for transpacific shipping traffic and for Pacific cruises. Local exports include gold, sugar, and processed timber. Light manufactures include the production of cigarettes, soap, textiles, processed food, and beverages. Duty-free shopping, tropical scenery, and unusual hotels attract thousands of travelers from Asia, Australia, and the United States to Suva each year; tourism employs a significant number of the city's workforce.
Since the 1960s the Suva skyline has been reshaped by hotels and other modern buildings constructed to accommodate tourists. Growth in industrial production and tourism since the 1970s resulted in a swelling population. This growth outstripped the government's ability to build affordable housing, encouraging crowded, temporary settlements to sprout up along the urban fringes of Suva. Many colonial-era buildings still stand in downtown Suva, including the massive Government Buildings that were once the center for British colonial administration of the region.
