Initially inhabited by the south-east Asians, Fiji became a British colony only in 1874. The British brought with them Indian contract workers. Fiji gained independence nearly a century later, in 1970. Although democracy was established, it was disrupted by the two military coups in the 1987, due to the discontent over growing Indian majority. The new millennium saw another military coup in 2000. Recently, Fiji witnessed the fourth coup in its history on 5 December, 2006.

The Fijian culture is a result of an amalgamation between the Indian and European culture, evident by the fact that both Diwali (Indian festival of lights) and Christmas are celebrated by all. The traditional Fijian dance form is known as Meke. It is usually a representation of an important event, such as a war, a chiefly installation or even a scandal. Modern Fiji’s national dress is the Sulu—a skirt—worn both by men and women.