Vaitupu
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Vaitupu is the largest
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...
of the nation of
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on with the main village being Asau.


Geography

The island, which covers approximately , includes
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s,
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
s, a fringing
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...
, and a large
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...
. Vaitupu atoll consists of at least nine isles: *
Luasamotu Luasamotu is an uninhabited islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu. Luasamotu on the reef off the eastern part of Vaitupu known as Matangi.Donald G. Kennedy''Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands'' Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol.38, 1929 ...
* Mosana (group of 2) *
Motutanifa Motutanifa or Motu o tanifa is an uninhabited islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu, which is located on the reef to the north of the part of Vaitupu known as Muli.Donald G. Kennedy''Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands'' Journal of the Polyn ...
* Temotu *
Te Motu Olepa Te Motu Olepa is an islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu that is between the Isles of Mosana and Luasamotu Luasamotu is an uninhabited islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu. Luasamotu on the reef off the eastern part of Vaitupu known as Matangi.Donald G. Kennedy''Field No ...
*
Tofia Tofia is a small islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu, in the entrance to the lagoon. Geography Tofia is one of at least nine islands of Vaitupu atoll and is the second biggest one areawise, only behind the Vaitupu island itself. The islet is positioned in ...
* Vaitupu proper * and at least one other islet The biggest island is Vaitupu proper, followed by
Tofia Tofia is a small islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu, in the entrance to the lagoon. Geography Tofia is one of at least nine islands of Vaitupu atoll and is the second biggest one areawise, only behind the Vaitupu island itself. The islet is positioned in ...
. In the 2012 census, the population of the villages of Vaitupu were: * Apalolo - Saniuta: 263 * Tumaseu: 248 * Potufale: 230 * Asau: 198 In the same census, 502 people were recorded as being at
Motufoua Secondary School Motufoua Secondary School is a boarding school for children on Vaitupu atoll, Tuvalu. it is the largest high school in Tuvalu. As Tuvalu consists of nine islands, the students reside on Vaitupu during the school year and return to their home is ...
. On 30 January and 1 February 1990,
Cyclone Ofa Severe Tropical Cyclone Ofa was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused severe damage in Polynesia in February of 1990. The system was first noted on January 27, 1990, near Tuvalu, as a shallow tropical depression that had developed within the Sou ...
had a major impact on Vaitupu, with around 85 percent of residential homes, trees and food crops being destroyed. In the 2011 Tuvalu drought, Vaitupu experienced the loss of coconut palm trees,
pulaka Pulaka, ''Cyrtosperma merkusii'', or swamp taro, is a crop grown mainly in Tuvalu and an important source of carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants. It is a " swamp crop" similar to taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots." The s ...
and
taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
due to the high temperatures and
arid A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
soil. In March 2015,
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
s resulting from
Cyclone Pam Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam was the second most intense tropical cyclone of the South Pacific Ocean in terms of sustained winds and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. A total of 15–16 people lost ...
caused damage to houses, crops and infrastructure.


History

The exact date of Vaitupu's first
settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building * Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fin ...
is unknown. According to
oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...
, the founder of the Vaitupuan community was a Samoan by the name of Telematua, who arrived in the 16th or 17th century. However, it is possible that Tongans may have first reached the atoll during the mid-13th century. Vaitupu has maintained contacts with Tonga throughout its history, both peaceful ( alliances through marriage) and hostile (visits by Tongan
slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
-seekers). Vaitupu was also visited by
I-Kiribati The Micronesians or Micronesian peoples are various closely related ethnic groups native to Micronesia, a region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They are a part of the Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, which has an Urheimat in Taiwan. Ethno ...
, and was thus far from isolated. Vaitupu means 'the fountain of water'. Despite what earlier sources on the discovery of Vaitupu state, namely that
Obed Starbuck The Starbuck family were prominent in the history of whaling in the United States, based in Nantucket, Massachusetts, from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Some members of the family gained wider exposure due to their discovery of vario ...
, captain of whaler ''Loper'' of Nantucket, had sighted this island in 1825, it wasn't until 26 April 1826, that he in fact would. William Plaskett, captain of the Nantucket whaler ''Independence II,'' called at Vaitupu on 21 August 1827. In view of Starbuck's earlier sighting of the island, the log entry by Plaskett for the day that he rediscovered it may appear somewhat remarkable: ''“ ..At daylight found it to be a small low island about 6 miles long. ..Having one native and an interpreter on board who we brought from Rotumah, who formerly belonged to one of the islands about here and who understood their language we learned that they had never seen a ship before. The natives name of this island is voytopu. It is not laid down on the books or charts so we call it a new discovery. Lat.7°-25 outhLongitude 178°-78 East".'' It was named 'Tracy Island' by Starbuck. The
United States Exploring Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
under
Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...
visited Vaitupu in 1841. Samoan pastors from the
London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...
successfully introduced Christianity in the 1860s. The pastors implemented religious regulations, outlawing many
cultural practice Cultural practice is the manifestation of a culture or sub-culture, especially in regard to the traditional and customary practices of a particular ethnic or other cultural groups. The term is gaining in importance due to the increased controver ...
s. They also introduced 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, alon ...
, as their Bibles were written in Samoan. Vaitupuans became literate in Samoan rather than in their own language. Vaitupuans celebrate Te Aso Fiafia (Happy Day) on 25 November of each year. Te Aso Fiafia commemorates 25 November 1887 which was the date on which the final instalment of a debt of $13,000 was repaid to H. M. Ruge and Company, a German trading firm that operated from Apia, Samoa. Vaitupu history is that Thomas William Williams, the Ruge agent, pretended to do his customers a favour by allowing them to obtain goods on credit. In 1883 the debt of the Vaitupuans was $13,000 and H. M. Ruge and Company had threatened to seize the entire island unless the debt was repaid. Neemia, a Vaitupuan pastor living in Samoa, returned and organised working parties to collect coconuts and prepare
copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from copr ...
to sell to pay off the debt, with Henry Nitz, the Webber & Co agent on Vaitupu, contributing money to meet the final payment. The Vaitupuans, with the help of their friends from
Funafuti Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of la ...
, repaid the debt by the due date. Seven thousand dollars was repaid by 1886 and the balance was paid on 25 November 1887. Vaitupuan tradition is that chance favoured their efforts, a ship sent to collect the last payment sank, as did the second ship the trading schooner ''Vaitupulemele''. By the time a third ship arrived most of the money had been collected. However, the trading schooner ''Vaitupulemele'' appears to have a different role in the history of Vaitupu. The creation of the debt that was repaid to Ruge & Co extended beyond the purchase of goods on credit to include the purchase price of the ''Vaitupulemele'' by the Vaitupu Company. While T.M. Williams had been the Ruge agent, he later formed the Vaitupu Company with the Vaitupuan community and purchased the ''Vaitupulemele'' from Ruge & Co. However the schooner was lost during a voyage from Samoan and soon after Williams died, leaving no accounting for copra that had been shipped from Vaitupu. In any event the Vaitupuans paid the full amount claimed by Ruge & Co, although that company soon after went into liquidation. Vaitupu Post Office opened around 1916.
Donald Gilbert Kennedy Donald Gilbert Kennedy (March 1898 – 1976) was a teacher, then an administrator in the British colonial service in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. For his services as a Coastwatcher during t ...
, the resident District Officer in the administration of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands (GEIC as a colony) in the Pacific Ocean were part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. They were a protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a colony until 1 January 1976. The history of the colony w ...
Colony from 1932 to 1938, describe the construction of ''paopao'' and of the variations of single-outrigger canoes that had been developed on Vaitupu and
Nanumea Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is with a pop ...
.


Population of Vaitupu

The population of Vaitupu from 1860 to 1900 is estimated to be 400 people. Vaitupu is home to the second-largest population in Tuvalu, numbering 1,576 (2002 Census) and 1,555 (2012 census). Despite its relatively large size, Vaitupu became so overcrowded during the 1940s that a number of families migrated to
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
to live on
Kioa KIOA (93.3 FM) is a commercial radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. It is owned by the Des Moines Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications and airs a Classic Hits radio format. The station's studios are located at 1416 Locust Street along w ...
Island. Neli Lifuka was the magistrate on Vaitupu from 1945 to 1951. He was instrumental in collecting the funds to purchase
Kioa KIOA (93.3 FM) is a commercial radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. It is owned by the Des Moines Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications and airs a Classic Hits radio format. The station's studios are located at 1416 Locust Street along w ...
Island in
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
.Michael Goldsmith, ''Review of Klaus-Friedrich Koch, Logs in the Current of the Sea'', Journal of the Polynesian Society, 87:4 (1978), 361–62 Initially 37 people migrated from Vaitupu to live on Kioa Island; within a decade, more than 235 people followed.


Schools on Vaitupu

The primary school on Vaitupu is called Tolise, which was established in 1953. A secondary school called Elisefou (New Ellice), opened in 1923 and closed in 1953 when the boys were transferred to King George V School on South Tawara. The first headmaster of Elisefou was
Donald Gilbert Kennedy Donald Gilbert Kennedy (March 1898 – 1976) was a teacher, then an administrator in the British colonial service in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. For his services as a Coastwatcher during t ...
, who was a strict disciplinarian who would not hesitate to beat his students. The two most famous Tuvaluans from the school were Tuvalu's first
Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, Sir Fiatau Penitala Teo and its first Prime Minister,
Toaripi Lauti Sir Toaripi Lauti (28 November 1928 – 25 May 2014) was a Tuvaluan politician who served as chief minister of the Colony of Tuvalu (1975–78), as the first prime minister following Tuvalu's independence (1978–1981) and governor-general of T ...
. Kennedy published ''Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands'' in the Journal of the Polynesian Society in instalments between 1929 and 1932 and as a book in 1931.
Motufoua Secondary School Motufoua Secondary School is a boarding school for children on Vaitupu atoll, Tuvalu. it is the largest high school in Tuvalu. As Tuvalu consists of nine islands, the students reside on Vaitupu during the school year and return to their home is ...
was established in 1905 by the London Missionary Society. Over time the school has evolved and it is now a boarding school for boys and girls that is administered by the
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
. In 2009 the student roll at Motufoua Secondary School was 550. Vaitupu received worldwide attention in 2000, when a fire in a
dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
at the Motufoua school killed 18 girls and a female adult supervisor. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a student using a candle to read during the night. The Prime Minister
Ionatana Ionatana Ionatana Ionatana, CVO OBE CPM (5 November 1938 – 8 December 2000), was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He represented the constituency of Funafuti in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Tuvalu f ...
declared a national tragedy and quickly travelled to the island to witness the aftermath. A
memorial service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
was held the following year in memory of the 18 girls and their matron who tragically lost their lives. Tuvaluan leaders as well as parents of the victims attended the memorial service.


Power generation with solar-hybrid systems

In 2010 what was then described as the largest diesel-solar
photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially us ...
(PV) hybrid electricity system in the South Pacific was installed at
Motufoua Secondary School Motufoua Secondary School is a boarding school for children on Vaitupu atoll, Tuvalu. it is the largest high school in Tuvalu. As Tuvalu consists of nine islands, the students reside on Vaitupu during the school year and return to their home is ...
. Prior to the instalment of the system the school relied upon a diesel powered generator, which needed to be turned off during the night. The hybrid system systems saves thousands of dollars in diesel costs and provides the school with a 24-hour supply of energy, with up to 200 kWh per day. In 2014
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 count ...
and the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
agreed to provide finance to the Government of Tuvalu to install battery-backed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for the outer islands. From January to March 2015 Powersmart, a New Zealand company, implemented German solar power technology to build the new Vaitupu powerhouse.


Community activities

The only village on Vaitupu consists of the neighbourhoods
Tumaseu Tumaseu is a village located on the island of Vaitupu, Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated ...
and Asau. There is a church, Tolise Primary School, at least one
guesthouse A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use ...
and a post office. An aquaculture project has been established in the lagoon. The community activities on Vaitupu include the '' Nafa Moa'' and ''Talo'' (Taro crops and chickens competition). In this
contest Contest may refer to: * Competition * Will contest * Contesting, amateur radio contesting (radiosport) Film and television * ''Contest'' (2013 film), an American film * Contest (1932 film), a German sports film * " The Contest", a 1992 season ...
the community is divided into two rival teams. Members of each team compete for who can grow the heavier
taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
or larger chickens; the climax comes with the weigh-off between the competitors, concluding a day of good-natured rivalry and fun.


Transportation and tourism

There is a
wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...
on Vaitupu but no harbour, meaning passengers must board a smaller boat from the inter-island passenger/cargo ships to get to the Vaitupu. There are paths and small unpaved roads throughout the island. Only a few cars drive on Vaitupu. In the main village there is a guest house called Vivalia III located at the wharf near the main church.


General election, 2019

The 2019 general election was held on 9 September 2019. Isaia Taape was returned to the parliament and Nielu Isake was elected to represent Vaitupu in the parliament.


Notable local persons

Reverend Sir Filoimea Telito,
GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...
,
MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...
, (19 March 1945 – 11 July 2011) as a young man became a teacher at
Motufoua Secondary School Motufoua Secondary School is a boarding school for children on Vaitupu atoll, Tuvalu. it is the largest high school in Tuvalu. As Tuvalu consists of nine islands, the students reside on Vaitupu during the school year and return to their home is ...
. After completing theological studies, he returned to Motufoua to serve as Pastor. Later he became Principal of Motufoua, then in April 2005 he was appointed to be the
Governor-General of Tuvalu The governor-general of Tuvalu is the vice-regal representative of the Tuvaluan monarch, currently King Charles III, in the country of Tuvalu. The monarch is the head of state of Tuvalu, with the governor-general performing the monarch's duti ...
. Sir
Tomasi Puapua Sir Tomasi Puapua (born 10 September 1938) is a political figure who represented Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He attended the Fiji School of Medicine and the Otago University Medical School. He married Riana Puapua. Prime minister ...
,
GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...
, KBE, PC represented Vaitupu in the
Parliament of Tuvalu The Parliament of Tuvalu (called ''Fale i Fono'' in Tuvaluan, or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'') is the unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the ''Vaiaku maneapa''. The ''maneapa'' on each island is ...
. He was the second Prime Minister (1981–1989). Puapua later served as
Governor-General of Tuvalu The governor-general of Tuvalu is the vice-regal representative of the Tuvaluan monarch, currently King Charles III, in the country of Tuvalu. The monarch is the head of state of Tuvalu, with the governor-general performing the monarch's duti ...
(1998–2003).
Apisai Ielemia Apisai Ielemia (19 August 1955 – 19 November 2018) was a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010, and was returned as a member of parliament in the 2010 Tuvaluan general election. He was re-electe ...
(19 August 1955 – 19 November 2018) represented Vaitupu in the
Parliament of Tuvalu The Parliament of Tuvalu (called ''Fale i Fono'' in Tuvaluan, or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'') is the unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the ''Vaiaku maneapa''. The ''maneapa'' on each island is ...
. He served as
Prime Minister of Tuvalu The prime minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the prime minister must always be a member of the parliament, and is elected by parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political ...
(2006–2010).
Taukelina Finikaso Taukelina Finikaso (born 10 January 1959) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. At the 2006 general election, he was elected MP for his home constituency of Vaitupu. He was educated in Kiribati and Fiji before acquiring a Law D ...
represents Vaitupu in the parliament. He served as Minister of Communications and Works (2006–2010) and served as the Foreign Minister in the
Sopoaga Ministry The Sopoaga Ministry was the 14th ministry of the Government of Tuvalu, led by Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. It succeeds the Telavi Ministry upon its swearing in by Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli on 5 August 2013. Following the 2015 gen ...
(2013-2019).


Further reading

* Kennedy, Donald Gilbert, 'Field notes on the culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands' (1931): Thomas Avery & Sons, New Plymouth, N.Z.


See also

*
List of villages and neighbourhoods in Tuvalu Below is a list of villages and neighbourhoods in Tuvalu. There are no cities in Tuvalu. * Alapi * Angafoulua * Asau * Fakai Fou * Fangaua * Fenua Tapu * Fongafale * Funafuti - Capital * Kulia * Lolua * Niulakita * Savave * Senala * Ta ...
*
List of islands of Tuvalu Tuvalu consists of nine separate islands: six atolls and three reef islands. An atoll typically consists of several islets: Tuvalu has a total of 124 islands and islets. Each island is surrounded by a coral reef. Tuvalu's small, widely scattere ...


References


{{authority control Atolls of Tuvalu