Global Effects on a Small Pacific Island Nation

Are you familiar with the Pacific Islands? 

The Pacific islands consist of fourteen countries that have, not only amazing beaches, but also are rich in natural resources.  Some people are still not so familiar with those beautiful islands, so I decided to introduce one of the small island countries in Melanesia in the South Pacific, Fiji.

Fiji was colonized by Great Britain and gained its independence in 1970; seventeen years following it became a republic.  Fiji has allowed globalization to reach the nation, one way it shows is in a better education system (compared to other Pacific island countries) that allows foreign teachers to teach Fijian students according to the teachers’ own countries’ education systems with different ideas and ways of teaching in Fijian schools. Moreover, globalization has been helping Fiji to become more developed and advanced, not only academically but economically as well.

With a population of around 900,000 people, Fiji has a 7,6% unemployment rate, which according to the CIA in 1999, ranked them in the low 80s worldwide.  The government of Fiji provides agricultural jobs for the people as agriculture contributes to one of the largest proportions of trade income in the country after tourism.  A free trade system and open market policy that was adopted by the country and the geographically tropical land benefit the country, not only domestically but also internationally in terms of international trade and economics. Even though the competition is very high nowadays, Fiji has shown the world that their natural resources can compete for the needs in the global market.  Sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (manioc), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas, cattle, pigs, horses, goats and fish are the main products that Fiji exports to bigger, and more well-developed countries like USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. According to a 2013 report put together by the CIA, these exported goods make up just under 40% of the Fijian GDP (by composition, end use). This number points to the fact that Fiji has become a nation that relies heavily on international trade and global markets. 

However, more than just an exporting country, Fiji is the perfect example of a small undeveloped country that is reaping the benefits of globalization. With an economy that is based largely on tourism, making up 70% of GDP in 2013 according to the CIA (composition, by sector of origin), it is no surprise that Fiji has remained an open market that also enthusiastically embraces globalization as a driving source of life in the small island nation. Without a constantly shrinking globe, in terms of globalization, it might be worrying to see the state of a country that exports only similar goods to so many others, in this case, globalization becomes the lifeline of this small Pacific island nation.

While Fiji enjoys a peaceful network of international trade with very few to no international disputes or controversies, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for a nation that deals with internal issues such as poverty and corruption. The results will provide useful for those of us seeking to understand the impact of domestic policies on international systems of trade, as well as the impact of globalization on public perception and continued support and investment in such a country. 

-Dewi Mulyasari, #1701345645

Sources:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fj.html

http://www.pacifictradeinvest.com/

http://www.heritage.org/index/country/fiji