Eastern Division

Eastern Division encompasses Fiji's outer island archipelagos—Lau (about 60 islands, ~30 inhabited), Kadavu, and Lomaiviti provinces—spanning 335,000 km² of marine territory, over a quarter of Fiji's maritime realm. The Lau Islands had 9,602 residents at the 2017 census (down from 14,500 in 1976), as migration to main islands for economic opportunity steadily depopulates the periphery. Located between Melanesian Fiji and Polynesian Tonga, Lau has a unique cultural blend. The government has declared the eastern islands a Tax Free Region, offering businesses up to 13 years of corporate tax holiday plus duty exemptions to encourage development in these isolated outposts. The Lau Seascape conservation initiative seeks to sustain marine biodiversity while ensuring livelihoods for approximately 5,600 Indigenous residents; the Blue Nature Alliance is designing sustainable financing incorporating eco-tourism revenue. Digicel's Universal Service Obligation deployment aims to connect the remote Lau Group digitally, recognizing that 'universal connectivity is a critical enabler of inclusive economic and social development.' The division represents Fiji's development paradox: extraordinary marine resources and cultural heritage, yet hemorrhaging population to Suva and beyond.