Aiga-i-le-Tai is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

which includes the small islands of Manono,

Apolima Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of Samoa. It lies in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands: Upolu to the east, and Savai'i to the west. The island has one village settlement, Apolima Tai, with a ...

and tiny uninhabited Nu'ulopa lying in the

Apolima Strait The Apolima Strait is about 13 km wide and separates the two largest islands of Samoa: Savai'i to the northwest, and Upolu to the southeast. Three small islands lie in the strait. Two of them, Manono and Apolima, have small village settl ...

between the country's two main islands of

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approxi ...

and Savai'i. The district includes part of the mainland at the western end of Upolu and surrounds an

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of A'ana district, namely

Satuimalufilufi Satuimalufilufi is a village on the island of Upolu in Samoa. It is situated on the north west coast of the island in the political district of Aiga-i-le-Tai Aiga-i-le-Tai is a district of Samoa which includes the small islands of Manono, Apolim ...

village. Historically, Manono island has been the centre of the district. In modern times, the main centre is

Mulifanua Mulifanua is a village on the north-western tip of the island of Upolu, in Samoa. In the modern era, it is the capital of Aiga-i-le-Tai district. Mulifanua wharf is the main ferry terminal for inter-island vehicle and passenger travel across th ...

where the inter-island ferry terminal is located for ocean crossings between Savai'i and Upolu. With an area of only 27 km², Aiga-i-le-Tai is the smallest electoral district in the country with a population (2016 Census) of 5,029.

Va'a-o-Fonoti Va'a-o-Fonoti is a district on the north east coast of Upolu Island in Samoa, with a population (2016 Census) of 1,621, making it the least populated district in the country. The district is 38 km2 and consists of a main area around Fagaloa ...

is the only electoral district with a smaller population. The words '' 'aiga i le tai'' literally means 'family by the sea' in the

Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, al ...

Chief titles

Historically, the naval power of Manono and Apolima played a major role in political power-struggles between the national clans. One of the most important chiefly ( ''matai'') titles in the districts is Luatutu Aupa’au Leiataua. The district is also a major leg of the Sa Malietoa clan. Manono plays an important part in the election of the Malietoa title-holders, as Malie village also consults with Manono in the election of title holders, hence the importance of the Malietoa title in this district.

Mulifanua ferry terminal

Today, the ferry terminal at

, situated on the northwest coast of Upolu, is the second-most important port on the island, after the busiest harbour in the capital

Apia Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. ...

. The port is the main inter-island connection to Savai'i island. A regular passenger and vehicle ferry operates seven days a week, during the day, between Mulifanua and Salelologa ferry terminal on Savai'i. Views of Apolima and Manono can be seen during the crossing.

Archaeology

Archaeology in Samoa Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957.Lapita The Lapita culture is the name given to a Neolithic Austronesian people and their material culture, who settled Island Melanesia via a seaborne migration at around 1600 to 500 BCE. They are believed to have originated from the northern Phili ...

pottery sherds and adzes at Mulifanua, discovered during expansion work on the wharf in 1973. The oldest date so far from pre-historic remains at Mulifanua has been ''calculated'' by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

scientists to a likely true age of circa 3,000 BP (Before Present). The submerged Lapita site was accidentally discovered in the 1970s during work to expand the inter-island ferry berth.Journal of the Polynesian Society: New Information For The Ferry Berth Site, Mulifanua, Western Samoa, By H. M. Leach, P 319-330
New Information for the Ferry Berth Site, Mulifanua, Western Samoa by Roger C. Green & Helen M. Leach, Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 98, No. 3, 1989. Retrieved 23 April 2010 This is the only site in Samoa where ''decorated'' Lapita sherds have been found
Temper sands in prehistoric Oceanian pottery: geotectonics, sedimentology, petrography, provenance by William R. Dickinson, p.34.Retrieved 23 April 2010 although ''plainware'' pottery remains are found in other parts of Samoa and

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internatio ...

Gallery

File:Nu'ulopa island beach - Samoa.jpg, Visitor on Nu'ulopa island. File:ApolimafromFerry.jpg,

island. File:War Chief of Manono.jpg, A ''matai'', war chief Matetau of

Manono Island Manono is an island of Samoa, situated in the Apolima Strait between the main islands of Savai'i and Upolu, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu. There are four villages on the island with a total populat ...

, drawn by

Alfred Thomas Agate Alfred Thomas Agate (February 14, 1812 – January 5, 1846) was a noted American artist, painter and miniaturist. Agate lived in New York from 1831 to 1838. He studied with his brother, Frederick Styles Agate, a portrait and historical painter ...

(1812-1846) File:Fale on Manono Island.jpg, ''Faleo'o''

beach fale A beach fale is a simple thatched hut in the architecture of Samoa. Beach fales are also common in other parts of Polynesia. They have become popular in tourism as a low budget accommodation situated by the coast, built with a few posts, no walls ...

on Manono island. File:Samoa - Mulifanua ferry.JPG, Cars wait to board the ferry at

Electoral results

References

{{Authority control Districts of Samoa