This Week's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to....Fiji!

Fiji Page in Wikipedia

Official Fiji Travel Guide

Lonely Planet: Fiji Travel Information

I hereby grant the National Etiquette Award to Fiji, as it is customary in that country to remove shoes when entering homes.

This week a military coup took place in Fiji that looks set to restore dictatorship. Fiji has been a very popular holiday destination, with its beautiful beaches, but it has a history of military rule. We can only hope and pray that there is no bloodshed and that democracy is restored as soon as possible.

The population of Fiji is divided between native Fijians of Melanesian origin and people from the subcontinent of India whose ancestors were inroduced as labourers by the British. The Fijians were almost entirely converted to Christianity long ago, but the Indians are mostly Hindus. However, some of the Indian population have converted to Christianity. Racial tension between the two communities have made evangelism difficult.