Nadi is the third-largest conurbation

Conurbation

A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...

 in Fiji

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...

. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu

Viti Levu

Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...

, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian

Fijian people

Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...

, along with a large transient population of foreign tourists. Along with sugar cane production, tourism is a mainstay of the local economy. The Nadi region has a higher concentration of hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

s and motel

Motel

A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...

s than any other part of Fiji.

With its large Indo-Fijian population, Nadi is a centre for Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

 and Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 in Fiji. The downtown area is defined by the Nadi River and Viseisei village on the west side, and the beautfiul Sri Siva Subramaniya temple

Sri Siva Subramaniya temple

The Sri Siva Subramaniya temple is a Hindu temple in Nadi, Fiji. It is at the southern end of the main road through Nadi. It is the largest Hindu temple in the Southern hemisphere.- Historical background :...

 on the east. It is the largest Hindu temple in the Southern hemisphere, and is a site for pilgrims.
Nadi International Airport

Nadi International Airport

Nadi International Airport is the main international gateway for the islands of Fiji. It serves about 1.2 million people per year, and is the main hub of Air Pacific. The airport is 10km from the city of Nadi. In 2009 it handled 1,220,000 passengers on international and domestic...

 located 9 kilometers from the city, is the largest airport in Fiji. Thus, Nadi is the principal port of entry for air travelers to Fiji, even though it is on the opposite (western) side of the island of Viti Levu from the nation's capital and largest city, Suva

Suva

Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...

.

Nadi is a hub of commerce and tourism, with about 18 hotels, and is popular among travelers seeking to take ferries to island resorts in Fiji's western Mamanuca Group of islands. The town is also close to the western mud-flat beaches. It is also close to the Nausori highlands to the east, and can access the Sabeto [samˈbeto] and Sigatoka [siŋaˈtoka] valleys. Other sites are the Waqadra [waŋˈɡandra] Botanical Gardens, and the Sleeping Giant Gardens, which house Raymond Burr

Raymond Burr

Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...

's orchid collection.

History

Nadi Township was established in 1947. Around that time Government of Fiji has established its own "Government Station" on the higher grounds of Nadi. It is said that a couple of business set up their business around the "Government Station" to service the Government Station. The other business organization from other parts of Fiji also followed the suit.
It is reported that there was a very strong move by some concerned citizens of Nadi to move the town center to Martintar because of the existing center being so prone to flooding. This did not materialize because the move to shift the town center to Martintar came in too late as the Nadi Township had already developed strong roots in the existing location.

The elected system was introduced in 1967. Dr. A.H Sahu Khan

A. H. Sahu Khan

Dr A. H. Sahu Khan served one term as an Indian nominated member of the Legislative Council of Fiji from 1959 to 1963.He is credited with proposing the idea of the South Pacific Games during the 1959 South Pacific Conference in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea which led to the first games in Fiji in...

 was the first elected Chairman of the Nadi Township Board. With the introduction of Local Government Act in 1972 the Board changed its status to Council. Mr H.M Lodhia became the first Mayor of Nadi Town Council in 1972 and remained the Mayor until December 1973. The current Mayor of Nadi is Councillor Timoci Koroiqica

Economy

Air Pacific

Air Pacific

Air Pacific Limited, Fiji's international airline, operates international and domestic services around the Pacific and to North America and Hong Kong. It is also a partner with the frequent flyer programmes of Qantas, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines...

 has its head office at the Air Pacific Maintenance & Administration Centre in Nadi. Fiji Airlines Limited, operating as Pacific Sun

Pacific Sun

The Pacific Sun was founded in 1963 in California, and is the second longest running alternative weekly in the nation, behind only The Village Voice...

, is headquartered at Nadi International Airport

Nadi International Airport

Nadi International Airport is the main international gateway for the islands of Fiji. It serves about 1.2 million people per year, and is the main hub of Air Pacific. The airport is 10km from the city of Nadi. In 2009 it handled 1,220,000 passengers on international and domestic...

in Nadi.

Climate