Naitasiri Province

Naitasiri is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji and one of eight located on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.

Naitasiri covers an area of 1,666 square kilometers (643.25 Square Miles), and occupies the area mostly to the north of Suva, the capital. Its boundaries stretch across Viti Levu in a South-East to North-West direction from Laucala Bay on the Suva Peninsula to beneath Mt Tomanivi, Fiji's highest mountain on the Nadrau Plateau ("Mai na toba ko Laucala ki na ruku i Tomanivi" in Fijian). Its population at the last census in 2007 was 160,759, making Naitasiri the country's second most populous province after Ba.

Its main urban area is the burgeoning town of Nasinu, with a population of 87,446 at the 2007 census. Nasinu Town includes the suburbs of Waila, Makoi, Nasinu, Kalabu, Tovata, Kinoya, Laqere, Nadera, Nepani, Nadawa, Valelevu, Nakasi, and Naveiwakau. Newer Suburbs of Suva City, such as Samabula North, Tamavua, Namadi, Tacirua, Wailoku, Cunningham and Khalsa sit within Naitasiri's borders. (Suva City's CBD and older suburbs lie in the adjoining Rewa Province).

Naitasiri's natural resources include the Medrausucu mountain ranges, vast indigenous forests, five river systems and fertile agricultural land. The Monasavu Dam sits astride its Wainimala headwaters and Nadrau plateau.

Prior to roads being built, the five rivers that flow through the province, the Wainibuka, Wainimala, Waidina, Waimanu and the Rewa were the main avenues of travel and communications. Hence many villages in the province were situated along rivers. Public infrastructure works since the 1960s include the Sawani-Serea road, the Naqali-Namosi road, a new bridge and hospital at Vunidawa, roadworks and sealing of the main Sawani to Naqali road and other bridge constructions at Navuso across the Waimanu River and Naqali across the Waidina River. The Suva to Monasavu road opened much of the Wainimala hinterland in the late 1970s. The construction of the Vunidawa bridge has also opened up the Matailobau District hinterland since 2000.

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