Which former Fijian capital did Suva replace?

Which former Fijian capital did Suva replace? The answer is Levuka.

Fiji's colonial administration moved its capital from Levuka to Suva in 1877. Levuka sits on the island of Ovalau in the Lomaiviti group, while Suva is on the south-eastern coast of Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu.

Levuka had been an important nineteenth-century port and became Fiji's capital under British colonial rule after the islands were annexed in 1874. Its steep surrounding terrain and limited room for expansion made it unsuitable for a growing administrative centre, so officials selected Suva instead. The transfer of administration was made official in 1882.

Levuka remains historically important. Its well-preserved colonial port town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. Suva, meanwhile, developed into Fiji's political, commercial and regional centre. Nausori, Nadi and Lautoka are important Fijian towns, but none was the capital that Suva replaced.