Fiji Provinces, Districts and Villages

Republic of Fiji – Matanitu Tugalala o Viti

The Provinces of Fiji, (“yasana” in the Taukei language), are the 14 administrative units into which the country is divided, particularly in relation to the provision of resources and services to the indigenous Taukei population by iTaukei Affairs Board. They are more or less derived from the major clan affiliations for each provincial region.

Each yasana is governed by a provincial council, mainly composed of well educated and chiefly iTaukei, and headed up by an Executive Head, under the title “Roko Tui” or other chiefly title (Adi, , Ro, Roko, Ratu). A sub-unit of the yasana is the tikina, which is composed of several koros.

Each Province (yasana) is divided into Districts, which comprise a number of villages (koros). The most basic administrative unit in modern iTaukei communities is the koro (village). Each village is led by a village headman called the “turaga-ni-koro”, who is elected by the other villagers.

So the structure is koros to tikinas (not always as large koros stand alone) to yasana.

iTaukei society is traditionally very stratified. A hierarchy of chiefs presides over villages (koro), sub-districts (tikina vou), districts (tikina cokavata), and provinces (yasana). These administrative divisions generally correspond roughly with the social units of the extended family (tokatoka), clan (mataqali), tribe (yavusa), and land (vanua). All iTaukei chiefs belong to one of three confederacies based on the relationship of chiefs and clans: Kubuna, Burebasaga, and Tovata. Read more…