Editing Suva (section)

==History==
[[File:Suva postcard.jpg|thumb|Suva Central Business District in the 1950s]]
[[File:The harbour, Suva, Fiji (NYPL Hades-2359163-4043519).jpg|thumb|Suva, Fiji, c. 1920]]
In 1868, when Suva was still a small village, the [[Bau Island|Bauan]] [[Ratu|chieftain]], [[Seru Epenisa Cakobau]], granted {{convert|5000|km2|abbr=on}} of land to the Australian-based Polynesia Company, in exchange for the company's promise to pay off debts owed to the United States. More than a tenth of this land area, {{convert|575|km2|abbr=on}}, was located near Suva. The company's original intention was to develop a cotton farming industry, but the land and climate proved unsuitable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.climatefinder.com/places/NFNA|title=ClimateFinder.com - Nausori, Fiji|website=www.climatefinder.com|access-date=2020-02-04|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327083858/http://www.climatefinder.com/places/NFNA|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1874, control of the Fiji Islands was ceded to the United Kingdom. In 1877, the [[British Empire|colonial authorities]] decided to move the capital to Suva from [[Levuka]], Ovalau, Lomaiviti, because Levuka's location between a steep mountain and the sea made any expansion of the town impractical. Colonel [[F. E. Pratt]] of the [[Royal Engineers]] was appointed Surveyor-General in 1875 and designed the new capital in Suva, assisted by W. Stephens and Colonel R. W. Stewart. The transfer of the administration to Suva was made official in 1882.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europcar.com.fj/pages/suva|title=Europcar Fiji - Suva|website=www.europcar.com.fj|access-date=2020-02-04|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327072937/https://www.europcar.com.fj/pages/suva|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1910, Suva acquired the status of a municipality, under the Municipal Constitution Ordinance of 1909. Its area remained one square mile until 1952 when Suva annexed the [[Muanikau]] and [[Samabula]] [[ward (politics)|wards]], expanding its territory to {{convert|13|km2|abbr=on}}. In October of that year, Suva was officially designated a city – Fiji's first. Suva later annexed [[Tamavua]]. Most recently, Suva further extended its boundaries by incorporating the [[Cunningham (Fiji)|Cunningham]] area at its northern edge. Since then, [[urban sprawl]] has led to the growth of a number of suburbs that remain outside the city limits. Together with the city, they form the metropolitan area known as the [[Greater Suva Area]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9gKmPQeHBD0C&pg=PA174|title=Saving Small Island Developing States: Environmental and Natural Resource Challenges|last1=Nath|first1=Shyam|last2=Roberts|first2=John L.|last3=Madhoo|first3=Yeti Nisha|publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat|year=2010|isbn=9781849290319|pages=164}}</ref>

Suva hosted the [[2003 South Pacific Games|South Pacific Games in 2003]] for the third time in the event's 40-year history. In preparation for hosting the event, the Fijian [[Politics of Fiji|government]], with the help of a $16&nbsp;million aid package from the People's Republic of China, funded the construction of a new gymnasium, indoor sports centre, swimming pool, stadium, [[field hockey]] pitch, and grandstands in the area around Suva.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patarapacific.com/spg2003 |title=PATARA sponsors South Pacific Games 2003 and provides Information & Communications Technology for a "Smart Games" |work=patarapacific.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804044326/http://www.patarapacific.com/spg2003 |archive-date=4 August 2012 |access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref>