125 different countries have visited this site.

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Newest Country: Fiji, August 21, 2012 [THANK YOU]

Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west, France's New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec to the southeast, Tonga to the east, the Samoas, France's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north.

The majority of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activity started around 150 million years ago. Today, some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium BC. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of circa 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 850,000. The former contains Suva, the capital and largest city. Most of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centres. Viti Levu's interior is sparsely inhabited due to its terrain.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored Fiji. Fiji was a British colony up until 1970; British occupation lasted almost a century. During World War II, the United Kingdom allowed for many thousands of Fijians to volunteer to aid in Allies' efforts via their attachment to the New Zealand and Australian army units; the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) consist of land and naval units.

Because of the abundance of forest, mineral, and fish resources, Fiji is one of the most developed economies in the Pacific island realm. Today, the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports. The country's currency is the Fijian dollar.

Fiji has a local government system where city and town councils fall under the general supervision of the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development. President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau became Fiji's president, after a high court ruled that the military leadership was unlawfully appointed after a 2006 coup.

Indigenous Fijians are mostly Christian, and the Indo-Fijians are mostly Hindu and Muslim.

Firewalking is practiced by: the Sawau clan in the Fijian Islands;

The story of fire walking in Fiji

About 500 years ago, when there were only about 50 people in the village of Nakarovu in the high land of central Beqa Island, an old man in the village, Dredre (meaning love), told stories to the young people but only after they first gave him a gift. One young man, Tunaiviqalita, promised to give Dredre a fresh eel as a gift and Dredre agreed to tell him stories once he gave him the eel.

The next morning Tunaiviqalita followed a small stream near the village in his search for an eel. As he moved upstream he came across a big rock in the stream. He put his hand under the rock hoping to catch an eel but instead felt something soft and warm, so he pulled it out. In his hand was a perfect tapa cloth undamaged by the water. The tapa cloth was wound around something that he could feel moving inside. He unwound the tapa and a small man jumped out shouting "Don't kill me, give me life, I will make you the strongest man on the island." Tunaiviqalita replied "I am already the strongest man on the island and I will kill you".

Then the small man said, "Don't kill me and I will make you very rich". To which the young man replied "I don't know what money is. I have no need for it."

Then the small man said, "If you don't kill me I will give you the gift of walking on fire and then bury you for four nights but you will unhurt and still be living."

Tunaiviqalita replied, "I don't want all of that I just want to be able to walk on fire".

The small man said, "Then so be it as long as the sun rises and the sun sets your descendants will be able to walk on fire."

But Tunaiviqalita did not believe him and said, "First you must show me." So they built a fire under stones which after many hours became red hot. The small man said, "Follow me," then he danced and danced on the hot stones without any ill effect. Tunaiviqalita followed him onto the hot stones and sang with happiness as he realised what a powerful gift he had been given by the small man.

Tunaiviqalita gave that gift of walking on fire through his blood line in the Sawau Tribe on Bega Island. The descendants are today, as promised by the small man, still able to walk on hot stones without any ill effects.

The descendants of Tunaiviqalita are in the villages of Rookwa, Dakubeqa, Dakuni, Soliyaga and Naceva are still able to walk on fire. These descendants often perform the firewalk at hotels in Fiji.