Levuka

Fiji

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Article History

Levuka, port town on the east coast of Ovalau island and capital of Lomaiviti province, central Fiji, South Pacific. Settled by a U.S. adventurer in 1822, the area was the centre of a cotton boom during the American Civil War (1861–65), when world cotton supplies were disrupted. Levuka was chosen as the capital of Fiji in 1874, when the islands were annexed by Great Britain, but lost the distinction to Suva in 1882. It is now the centre of Fiji’s tuna-processing industry, supplied mainly by Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese fishing boats. The town’s 19th-century architecture is still largely intact, and in 2013 Levuka was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its cultural and historical value. Pop. (2007) 4,397.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.