Suva

Why it's the capital

The earlier capital, Levuka on the island of Ovalau, was squeezed between a steep mountain and the sea, with no room to grow. In 1877 the colonial authorities moved the capital to Suva, and the move became official in 1882.

Fun facts

1. In 1928 the Southern Cross, on the first flight across the Pacific from the mainland United States to Australia, landed in Albert Park, the first aircraft ever to land in Fiji.
2. Suva gets about 3,000 mm of rain a year with no true dry season, because the mountains to its north and west catch the south-east trade winds.
3. In 1952 Suva became the first place in Fiji to be officially named a city.