Like many a contemporary cultural chauvinist, Herodotus reacted with shock to the foreign ways of Egypt, where, he found, nothing was done as it was in Greece. After 700 years tourists can still profitably read the observations of that Venetian trader when contemplating their own trips to China and the Far East. Although the Indians are forbidden land ownership, they operate most of the sugar plantations. There are also small Chinese and white minorities. Fiji experiences tensions as a result of its diverse ethnic composition.
Primary education is neither free nor compulsory, but the literacy rate is high.
Gold is the leading mineral product. The underdeveloped industrial sector produces some consumer goods, garments, and food products. Fiji is trying to diversify exports and increase manufacturing. The fishing industry has grown rapidly. A British colony for nearly a century, Fiji became independent in 1970.