Fijians in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Fijians in the United Kingdom include Fiji
an-born immigrants to the United Kingdom
as well as their British-born descendants. With around 3,500 Fijian born residents alone in the UK in 2001, it is the world's fifth largest overseas Fijian community.
, although its membership was suspended in September 2009. For several generations, Fijians have served in the British Army
. They fought for the British against the Japanese in the Second World War, and later in Malaya
, Borneo
, Oman
and Iraq
.
Fijians have been dubbed the "unsung heroes" of the British army, and, according to Major Charles Heyman, "There is a long military tradition in Fiji and many serve today because their fathers and grandfathers did" and "the Fijians have been an essential part of the British empire and what they are doing, basically, is filling the vacant slots in the British Army because we cannot recruit enough from the UK itself". As of 2009, approximately 2,000 Fijians are working for the British armed forces (as a result from recruiting since 1998).
as well as towns within the proximity of British Army Infantry bases such as Catterick
and Salisbury
. Fiji is a diverse nation with a mix of many ethnicities, those of indigenous Austronesian origin form the majority of the island's population, with minorities of Indians amongst other groups. Many famous British people of Fijian descent are Indo-Fijians, including Nifa Hindes
, Nishan Hindes
, Satya Nandan
, Ramon Tikaram
, and Tanita Tikaram
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an-born immigrants to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as well as their British-born descendants. With around 3,500 Fijian born residents alone in the UK in 2001, it is the world's fifth largest overseas Fijian community.
History and settlement
Fiji and the United Kingdom have close ties, with Fiji being a member of the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, although its membership was suspended in September 2009. For several generations, Fijians have served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. They fought for the British against the Japanese in the Second World War, and later in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Fijians have been dubbed the "unsung heroes" of the British army, and, according to Major Charles Heyman, "There is a long military tradition in Fiji and many serve today because their fathers and grandfathers did" and "the Fijians have been an essential part of the British empire and what they are doing, basically, is filling the vacant slots in the British Army because we cannot recruit enough from the UK itself". As of 2009, approximately 2,000 Fijians are working for the British armed forces (as a result from recruiting since 1998).
Demographics and population
According to the 2001 UK Census, 3,464 Fijian-born people were residing in the United Kingdom (62% of the total Pacific Islander born population in the country). A publication in 2006 estimates between 3,000 and 4,000 Fijians as living in the UK, this figure differs very little from the UK census of 2001. The largest numbers of people of Fijian origin in the UK can be found in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as well as towns within the proximity of British Army Infantry bases such as Catterick
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. Fiji is a diverse nation with a mix of many ethnicities, those of indigenous Austronesian origin form the majority of the island's population, with minorities of Indians amongst other groups. Many famous British people of Fijian descent are Indo-Fijians, including Nifa Hindes
Nifa and Nishan Hindes
Nifa and Nishan Hindes are identical twin models, born on August 7, 1979 in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom to an English father and an Indian-Fijian mother....
, Nishan Hindes
Nifa and Nishan Hindes
Nifa and Nishan Hindes are identical twin models, born on August 7, 1979 in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom to an English father and an Indian-Fijian mother....
, Satya Nandan
Satya Nandan
Satya N. Nandan, CF, CBE, a diplomat and lawyer from Fiji specializing in ocean affairs, is Chairman of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, where he began a two-year term on 1 January 2009....
, Ramon Tikaram
Ramon Tikaram
Ramon Pramod Junior Tikaram is a British stage and screen actor of Indo-Fijian and Malaysian descent.-Early and personal life:...
, and Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter, best known for the hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart...