Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.1
Relative contribution to GDP by activity in 2007 at constant price [1995] and
factor cost
Activity
% GDP in 2006
Wholesale and retail trade, hotel, and restaurants
18
Community, social, and personal services
18
Manufacturing
15
Agriculture, forestry, fi shing, and subsistence
14
Financial, insurance, real estate, and business Services
14
Transport and communications
13
Construction
5
Electricity and water
4
Mining and quarrying
0.5
Note
: Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics 2007.
most developed Pacifi c Island economies. Agriculture and tourism are
the primary sources of foreign exchange for Fiji, but gold mining, mineral
water exports, garment manufacturing, and fi sheries are also of consider-
able economic importance (Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics 2008). The
gross domestic product (GDP) of Fiji grew on average at a rate of 2.04
percent
1
between 2000 and 2006.
Agriculture and tourism are the country's two major sources of foreign
exchange. Sugar exports accounted for over 22 percent of the total value
of Fiji's domestic exports in 2007, while more than 539,000 tourists
visited Fiji in the same year (Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics 2008).
Although the contribution of the mining sector has declined from its
early high in the 1930s and 1940s, mining remained a dependable source
of employment for over three generations of miners and their families.
The Vatukoula gold mine was started during British colonial times and
has continued to be owned and operated by foreign corporations from
Australia and South Africa. The ethnically diverse and culturally rich
mining town of Vatukoula, which literally means “rock of gold,” is situ-
ated in the collapsed caldera of an extinct volcano, near the edge of the
Nakauvadra mountain range on Viti Levu, the largest Fijian island.
Throughout its history the mine has attracted hopeful workers from
around the country, including even the most remote outer islands. In
the past, securing a position as a miner meant a steady income and
potentially even training and advancement opportunities for the lucky
few who were able to move into upper-level positions. Despite the efforts
