The bigger islands are primarily volcanic. While there has been no recorded activity in modern history, the presence of hot springs indicate that the fires of creation are not fully extinguished. The practical Fijians use them to cook or for a warm bath. Fiji is richly endowed with fresh water, its most important rivers being the Rewa, Navua, Sigatoka, and Ba. Climate Fiji enjoys a tropical oceanic climate, with gentle trade winds tempering the heat and humidity.
Resorts tend to line the west and south coasts of the larger islands.
Seasons are reversed south of the equator. Fiji lies in the path of hurricanes moving south from the equator in the months of November-April. Only four severe storms have hit the islands in the last 20 years. Government Fiji became an independent Republic in 1987. Its constitution provides for a bicameral parliament based on the Westminster System with an elected House of Representatives and an appointed Senate.