Suva

History

In 1868, when Suva was still a small village, the Bauan chieftain, Seru Epenisa Cakobau, granted of land to the Australian-based Polynesia Company, in exchange for the company's promise to pay off debts owed to the United States. More than a tenth of this land area, , was near Suva. The company's original intention was to develop a cotton farming industry, but the land and climate proved unsuitable. In 1874, control of the Fiji Islands was ceded to the United Kingdom. In 1877, the colonial authorities moved the capital to Suva from Levuka, Ovalau, Lomaiviti, because Levuka's location between a steep mountain and the sea made any expansion of the town impractical. Colonel F. E. Pratt of the Royal Engineers was appointed Surveyor-General in 1875 and designed the new capital in Suva, assisted by W. Stephens and Colonel R. W. Stewart. The transfer of the administration to Suva was made official in 1882. In 1910, Suva acquired the status of a municipality, under the Municipal Constitution Ordinance of 1909. Its area remained one square mile until 1952, when Suva annexed the Muanikau and Samabula wards, expanding its territory to . In October of that year, Suva was officially designated a city – Fiji's first. Suva later annexed Tamavua. Most recently, Suva further extended its boundaries by incorporating the Cunningham area at its northern edge. Since then, urban sprawl has led to the growth of a number of suburbs outside the city limits. Together with the city, they form the metropolitan area known as the Greater Suva Area. Suva hosted the South Pacific Games in 2003 for the third time in the event's 40-year history. In preparation for hosting the event, the Fijian government, with the help of a $16 million aid package from the People's Republic of China, funded the…

Most-observed species

• Peale's Imperial-Pigeon

  Ducula latrans (Peale, 1849) · Aves
  484
• Red-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  468
• Masked Shining-Parrot

  Prosopeia personata (G.R.Gray, 1848) · Aves
  460
• Common Myna

  Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  451
• White-rumped Swiftlet

  Aerodramus spodiopygius (Peale, 1849) · Aves
  423
• Orange-breasted Myzomela

  Myzomela jugularis Peale, 1849 · Aves
  414
• Jungle Myna

  Acridotheres fuscus (Wagler, 1827) · Aves
  400
• Collared Lory

  Phigys solitarius (Suckow, 1800) · Aves
  371

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2023-10-06
  37 km NW of Nasinu, Fiji
• M 4.3 — 2023-06-06
  30 km W of Levuka, Fiji
• M 4.1 — 2022-03-21
  47 km SSE of Suva, Fiji
• M 4.3 — 2021-12-14
  17 km WNW of Levuka, Fiji
• M 4.6 — 2021-04-05
  53 km NNW of Levuka, Fiji
• M 4.3 — 2021-01-28
  24 km W of Levuka, Fiji