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| http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/oceania/fj.htm |
Fiji and Samoa are two locations that at a glance share many similarities. Similarities such as, being island nations and major tourist attractions, just these two traits are enough to make them feel so similar. Both are surrounded by the pacific and culturally on the surface everything seems the same. But when you study them carefully and ignore the surface you realize just how different the two nations are. These two island nations have a huge tourist based economy. Tourism is so common that when you google them you get tourist after tourist sites selling packages to visit them. There is more information on what tourist things you can do and why you should visit than there is academic article describing the cultural and geography of these two nations.
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| http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/oceania/lgcolor/wscolor.htm |
Fiji’s exact location is 17.714 degrees south, 178.0650 degrees east. Fiji is 4,635 kilometers from Australia. Samoa and Fiji are separated by 1,139 kilometers. Samoa’s exact location is 13.790 degrees south, 172,1046 degrees west. Samoa is located 3,269 kilometers from New Zealand and by airplane is 164 kilometers from American Samoa. The capital of Fiji is Suva which is located in Viti Levu. The Capital of Samoa is Apia.
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| Apia, Samoa http://www.cunard.com/destinations/regions/australia-and-new-zealand-cruises/apia/ |
Fiji is located in Southern Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by crystal clear blue water. Fiji is home to many species of birds, plants, and insects. Fiji is also made up of many islands about 332. Some are small and some are on a larger scale such as Viti Levu. Fiji is frequently visited by tourist. Tourism is one of the biggest attraction points to the islands of Fiji. Fiji achieved independence from England in 1962. Fiji is considered a republic. Their capital city is Suva and is located on the island of Viti Levu. Fiji is considered part of Melanesia and its population size is 868,000. The languages spoken are English, and Fijian. English is part of their languages due to being colonized by England. Two religions that are prominent in Fiji is Christianity and Hinduism. There are many native indians still living in Fiji today.
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| Suva, Fiji http://www.experiencesuva.com/ |
Samoa is also located in the Pacific Ocean and is home to a fourteen volcano chain. Much of its sand is created through withered basalt and ash. Oppose to Fiji who still has a lot of its island filled with forest locations, Samoa suffers from severe deforestation. This is many due to human activity on the island. The amount of animal life is also limited due to this deforestation. There is somewhat of an ecosystem and bit of their rainforest that supports different types of birds and plants. The official language of Samoa in Samoan. English is also taught but it is not recognized as an official language. Christianity is also heavily practiced in Samoa just like Fiji. Samoa has fought to keep many of their traditions. One way of that is through the use of the Fale, which is a meeting house. They are oval and have side openings. Typical foods consumed by the Samoan includes taro, yams, and different ocean animals. In Oceanic culture Samoan culture especially dance and Tattooing is well known. Samoan tatau is widely know. Traditionally men get tatau from the torso down to above the knee. It’s a lengthy and painful process, the tatau will usually consist of different motifs. Women traditionally get motifs tatau on their hands and some would get tatau on their thighs.
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| Male Tatau http://www.cuded.com/2015/03/30-pictures-of-samoan-tattoos/ |
Apart from tourism both these countries participate trade and also have an extensive agricultural economy. In Samoa agriculture is big to the economy. They export coconut, cacao, many fruits such as mangoes, pineapples. Fiji has a similar system. Sugar was one their main trade items. Transportation is also something that is growing. Both Fiji and Samoa use airplanes in order to get to other locations and both have a bus system. Fiji has highways in the big islands and locals take motorized boats to get around. Samoa has flights that go to American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They also have ship carriers that travel to California.
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| Samoan Public Buses http://studyabroad.sit.edu/programs/semester/spring-2017/wsr/ |
In conclusion both these island nations are similar but also very different. Culturally, location, trade, transportation, and flora and fauna have differences and similarities. This has shown that one must look beyond the surface to reach an understanding of the culture and the geography.
For more information:
Resources:
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
"Australian Museum." The Meaning of Ta Tau - Samoan Tattoing - Australian Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
"Samoa." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
@worldatlas. "The Five Themes In Geography." WorldAtlas. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
