Fiji is the name of a place.
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it . Fiji ( [ ˈfiːdʒiː ] ) ( Viti [ ˈβitʃi ] फ़िजी ) , officially the Republic of Fiji ( Matanitu Tugalala o Viti फ़िजी गणराज्य ) , is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1100 nmi northeast of New Zealand 's North Island . When the High Court ruled in 2009 that the military leadership was unlawful , President Ratu Josefa Iloilo , whom the military had retained as the nominal Head of State , formally abrogated the Constitution and reappointed Bainimarama .