The Investors Club

If you fly directly east from northern Queensland for 2500 kilometres, you would be over Fiji. Looking down, you would see more than 800 islands — some large enough to hold thousands of people, others are very small. Perhaps 100 of these island are inhabited. If you flew down to 1323 metres while over the island of Viti Levu, you might hit the top of Tomanivi, Fiji’s highest peak. South-east of Tomanivi is Suva, the capital of Fiji. Main cities include Nadi, Sigatoka and Lautoka on Viti Levu and Labasa and Savusavu on Vanua Levu.

Fiji was populated for more than 3000 years before contact with Europeans. Most people living in Fiji had come from other islands in Melanesia, although some came from Polynesia and Micronesia. Villages developed their own customs and dialect. Although the Dutch visited Fiji in the 1600s, regular visits from Europeans did not begin until traders and missionaries made contact with the Fijians in the early eighteenth century. This delay was partly due to the reputation of Fijians as ruthless cannibals.

In 1874, Fiji was declared a British colony. The British brought to Fiji many thousands of Indian labourers to work on the sugar cane. Native Fijians resented so many non-Fijians settling in their land, and the British government introduced laws that banned non-Fijians from owning land. Fiji became an independent nation on 10 October 1970 with a system of government based on that of Britain.

About 800 000 people live in Fiji. The nearest Australian city in size is Adelaide, with a population of 1050 000 people. Three-quarters of the population live on the island of Viti Levu. Indigenous Fijians make up about 50 per cent of the population, with Indian Fijians accounting for 45 percent. The remaining five per cent are of European or Chinese or people from other Pacific Islands.

Most Fijians live in rural areas, but the number of people migrating to the cities has increased. Life for indigenous Fijians in rural areas revolves around their village. Each village has a chief, who is usually a man. The way of life in the villages is communal, with everybody helping everyone else. Indigenous Fijians speak Fijian and English.

Indian Fijians speak Fijian Hindi and English. Although most Indian Fijian families have lived in Fiji for many generations, their culture remains similar to families in India. Women wear saris, and most marriages are organised by parents when their children are young.

Fiji, like Australia, has a high literacy rate. About 90 per cent of Fijians can read and write (in Australia, it is 98 per cent). However, unlike Australia, education is not compulsory in Fiji, but it is encouraged. The government pays for children to attend, school until year nine, then fees must be paid by students’ families. Most schools are run by religious or community organisations. Fiji also has the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji School of Medicine.

Most Fijians work on farms, and the main crops are sugar and coconuts. Fishing is a large part of Fiji’s agricultural economy. Gold mines also provide work and much-needed income for the country. Fiji’s most important industry is tourism, and many of Fiji’s tourists are Australian. In 1987 and 2000, military coups discouraged foreigners from visiting Fiji, which resulted in an economic downturn.

Fiji’s major attractions are its natural attributes: the sea, the highlands and the islands. Most visitors to Fiji go to enjoy the beaches, with diving and snorkelling being popular pastimes. The Mamanuca group of islands, off the west coast of Viti Levu, have some of the country’s most beautiful beaches. The Abaca Cultural and Recreational Park, north-east of Nadi, contains waterfalls, rainforests and walking tracks that guide visitors through unimaginable beauty.

In 2000, George Spejght, an indigenous Fijian, led a coup against the Fijian Government. Speight and his followers kept Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and other Politicians captive for more than three weeks before releasing them and forming their own government. Chaudhry is of Indian Fijian descent. Speight claimed he was representing indigenous Fijians who did not want Indian Fijians to have political rights. Speight was arrested, and power was given to a newly elected president.

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Omnilux blue led phototherapy is a simple, pain free treatment that works with your bodies natural defences to eradicate acne.

The cost of flying within Italy is often comparable to the cost of train travel, although be sure to include the expense of getting to and from the airport. When flying out of Italian airports, always check with the airport or tourist agency about upcoming strikes, which are frequent in Italy and often affect air travel. The work stoppages are called by trade unions over contractual disputes, and can also ground or delay flights to and from Italy operated by several European carriers, including British Airways and Air France.

Things to Think About when booking
When you book, look for nonstop flights and remember that “direct” flights stop at least once. Try to avoid connecting flights, which require a change of plane. Two airlines may operate a connecting flight jointly, so ask whether your airline operates every segment of the trip. You may find that the carrier you prefer flies you only part of the way. Check web sites to find more booking tip, to check prices and to make online flight reservations.

When flying internationally, you must usually choose between a domestic carrier, the national flag carrier of the country you are visiting (Alitalia for Italy), and a foreign carrier from a third country. National flag carriers have the greatest number of non stops. Domestic carriers may have better connections to your hometown and serve a greater number of gateway cities. Third-party carriers may have a price advantage.

On international flights, Alitalia serves Rome, Milan, and Venice. The major international hubs in Italy are Milan and Rome, served by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines. American Airlines flies into just Milan. US Airways serves only Rome.

Alitalia and British Airways have direct flights from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Milan and Rome. From Manchester, British Airways has daily flights to Milan and Rome. Smaller, no-frills airlines also provide service between Great Britain and Italy.

EasyJet connects Gatwick with Bologna. British Midland connects Heathrow and Milan. Ryanair, departing from London’s Stansted Airport, has daily flights to Milan, Rome, Pisa, and Venice. Meridiana has two or three direct flights each week between Gatwick and Olbia on Sardinia in summer, and daily flights to Rome and Florence throughout the year. From its hub in Brussels, Virgin Express files to Milan, Catania, and Rome.

Alitalia connects Canada and Italy. Air Canada flies to Munich for connections to Rome, Florence, and Milan via Lufthansa. Qantas flies from various cities in Australia via Bangkok, arriving in Rome. Alitalia and New Zealand Air fly from Auckland to Rome with a stop in London. Another option if you’re coming from Australia or New Zealand is Thai Airlines, landing in Rome via Bangkok.

When buying tickets for flights within Italy, on Alitalia and small carriers such as Meridiana and Air One shop around for the best deals. Tickets are frequently sold at discounted prices, so check the cost of flights, even one-way, as an alternative to train travel.

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One of the world’s most beautiful squares, Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) is the heart of Venice, a vast open space bordered by an orderly procession of arcades marching toward the fairy tale cupolas and marble lacework of the Basilica di San Marco.

Perpetually packed by day with people and fluttering pigeons, it can be magical at night, especially in winter, when mists swirl around the lamp posts and the Campanile.

If you face the basilica from in front of the Correr Museum, you’ll notice that rather than being a strict rectangle, this square opens wider at the basilica end, creating the illusion that it’s even larger than it is.

The Piazza was paved in the late 13th century with bricks laid in a herringbone pattern. Bands of light stone ran parallel to the long axis of the main piazza. These lines were probably used in setting up market stalls and in organising frequent ceremonial processions. This original pavement design can be seen in paintings of the late Middle Ages and through the Renaissance, such as Gentile Bellini’s Procession in Piazza San Marco of 1496.

On your left, the long, arcaded building is the Procuratie Vecchie, built in the early 16th century as offices and residences for the powerful procurators of San Marco. On your right is the Procuratie Nuove, built half a century later in a more grandiose classical style.

It was originally planned by Venice’s great Renaissance architect, Sansovino, to carry on the look of his Libreria Sansoviniana (Sansovinian Library), but he died before construction on the Nuove had begun. Vincenzo Scamozzi (circa 1552-1616), a neoclassicist pupil of Andrea Palladio (1508-80), completed the design and construction. Still later, the Procuratie Nuove was modified by architect Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682), one of Venice’s baroque masters.

When Napoleon entered Venice with his soldiers in 1797, he called Piazza San Marco “the world’s most beautiful drawing room” and promptly gave orders to redecorate it. His architects levelled a 16th-century church with a Sansovino facade in order to build the Ala Napoleonica (Napoleonic Wing), or Fabbrica Nuova (New Building), which linked the two 16th-century procuratie and effectively enclosed the piazza.

Piazzetta San Marco, the “little square” leading from Piazza San Marco to the waters of Bacino San Marco (St. Mark’s Basin), is a landing that was once the grand entryway to the Republic. It’s distinguished by two columns towering above the waterfront.

One is topped by the winged lion, a traditional emblem of St. Mark that became the symbol of Venice itself; the other supports St. Theodore, the city’s first patron, along with his dragon. Between these columns the Republic traditionally executed convicts.

It takes a full day to take in everything on the piazza thoroughly; so if time is limited you’ll have to prioritize. Plan on one to two hours for the Basilica and its Pala d’Oro, Galleria, and Museo Marciano. You’ll want at least two hours to appreciate the Palazzo Ducale. Do take time to enjoy the piazza itself from a cafe table, or on a clear day, from atop the Campanile.

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Thailand can be separated into four geographical regions. In the north are mountain ranges and deep valleys in which are the sources of Thailand’s principal river, the Chao Phraya. The mountains are covered with forests of teak and evergreens. In central Thailand is the plain of the Chao Phraya. This is the most densely populated region, and it has the most fertile farm land. In the east is the Khorat Plateau, a high, rocky plain, where cattle, pigs, buffaloes and horses are run. The fourth region of Thailand is the part that lies on the Malay Peninsula, which is mountainous and contains the primary tin and other mineral deposits.

The climate of Thailand is tropical. It is governed largely by the monsoon, a wind that blows from the southwest from May to November, bringing a warm, rainy season, and from the northeast from November to March, bringing a dry and cooler season. The months of April and May, between the monsoon seasons, are the hottest of the year.

Thailand has many wild and strange animals, including more than a thousand varieties of brightly coloured birds. It is famous for the elephant, which is the national symbol of the country and is protected by law. The so called white elephant (which is really a lighter shade of grey) is considered holy. A favorite animal from Thailand is the Siamese cat. Thailand used to be name Siam.

The largest city of Thailand, and the capital, is Bangkok. It is a modern city located about 25 miles inland from the ocean at the delta of the Menam River. It is a harbor and center of commerce, and has a population of more than 1,500,000. Several international airlines connecting Asia with the United States and Europe make regular stops at Don Muang airport, which is one of the largest and most modern in Asia. Other important cities are Khon Kaen, Buriram, and Thonburi.

How the People are Governed
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, which means that it has a king, a parliament that makes the laws, and a constitution that protects the rights of the people. There is a prime minister, who is the head of the government, and a Council of Ministers who assist him or her. The first constitution of 1932 was suspended in 1958 after repeated disorders, and a constitutional assembly was formed in 1959 to draft a new and better constitution. Thailand is divided into provinces called changwats, each of which is governed by a commissioner who is responsible to the Council of Ministers.

Everyone must go to school between the ages of 7 and 14. There are many elementary and high schools, and there are five universities, including a medical school. Three of these are located in Bangkok. There are also military, naval, and police academies. More than half of the people of Thailand can read and write.

Thailand in the Past
In ancient times Thailand was a land of independent city-states. These were usually at war with the Mongols and the Burmese. The greatest of the city-states was Ayutthaya, which became strong in the 1300s and won much territory from neighboring states. Marco Polo visited Ayutthaya, and many other Europeans came to trade with the Siamese, including Dutch, English, and French. After four hundred years of prosperity, Ayutthaya was invaded and conquered by the Burmese, in 1767.

Another city-state arose at Thonburi, and in 1782 a Thai king arose who was the founder of the present Thailand dynasty, or family of kings. He was Rama I, and he established Bangkok as his capital. During the 1800s European nations were establishing claims to territories all around Thailand. The king was forced to give up Laos and Cambodia to France, and parts of the Malay Peninsula to Great Britain, but Thailand never gave up its independence.
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Thailand is a kingdom in southeast Asia on the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas. Through most of its history Thailand was called Siam. The people call themselves Thai, which in their language means “the free people.” In 1948 the Thai government changed the name of the country to Thailand.

Thailand has an area of about 511,770 square km, which makes it not quite as large as the American state of Texas. About sixty one million people live there, which is nearly three times as many as the population of Australia.

The People of Thailand
The first people in the region of Thailand were Negritos, a Negroid pygmy people. The Negritos became mixed with invading Mongols and tribes from China to produce the modern race of Siamese. There are two main groups in the population, the true Thai and the Lao. Thailanders are rather short, but well built. They have brownish skin and straight black hair.

Thailanders are an independent and courageous people, and there are no caste divisions in Thailand. All the people, including the women, have equal rights. Thailand is a very musical country, although its music sometimes sounds strange to Western ears, and the people are artistic dancers.

Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education. A free basic education of 12 is guaranteed by the Thai constitution, and a minimum of nine years’ school attendance is mandatory.

Thailanders are noted for their artistic abilities, ranging from the making of jewelry to the architecture of the beautiful Buddhist temples. There are many religious festivals in Thailand, with colorful costumes and ceremonies.

The people speak the Siamese language, which is a member of the Indochinese family of languages. Religion plays a very important role in Thai life. Religion is considered an essential foundation of society, it is not only the major moral force of Thai family and community but has also contributed to the molding of freedom loving, individualistic, and tolerant people for many centuries.

Hinayana Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, but there is total religious freedom and all major religions can be found in practice. There is absolute freedom of religion - Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths are practiced and protected by the constitution. Buddhism is the faith of 95 percent of the population, 4 percent are Muslims, 0.5 percent and Christians, and the remainder Hindus, Sikhs and other religion.

Despite the fact that Buddhism is the faith of majority, both the king and the government uphold and support all the religions accepted by the people. Amidst rich diversity of beliefs, until recently people of Thailand have always lived together in peace and harmony.

How they Live
Thailand is largely a nation of farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen. The principal foods of the people are rice and fish. Nearly all of the farm land is planted with rice. In addition to the large quantities eaten by the people, Thailand exports a large quantity of rice as well as electronic products. Other farm crops include cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The rivers of Thailand are full of fish, and large catches also are made in the Gulf of Thailand (previously the Gulf of Siam). Much of Thailand’s wonderful food contains seafood dishes.

Three-quarters of Thailand is covered with forests from which come the country’s famous teakwood, as well as bamboo, ebony, rosewood, boxwood, and Palmyra palm. The forests provide important quantities of lac (a resin deposited on trees by the lac insect) , rubber, oils, dyes. and tanning bark.

Thailand has large and varied mineral resources, the most important of which are tin, wolfram ore, coal, copper, antimony, gold, iron, manganese, molybdenum, silver, lead, gypsum, and lignite. There is a growing hi-tech economy and foreign countries have been encouraged to build factories there for the production of chemicals, textiles, and other goods.

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