Funafuti is an

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...

. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 60% of the nation's population. The main islet, Fongafale, hosts Vaiaku, the administrative center of the nation. Funafuti was first sighted by Europeans in 1819 by Arent Schuyler de Peyster, an American sea captain, who named it Ellice's Island. Between 1850 and 1875, Funafuti, with its navigable lagoon, was targeted by blackbirders who kidnapped natives to work at mines off the coast of Peru and Chile. In 1892, each of the Ellice Islands was declared a

British protectorate British protectorates were protectorates under the jurisdiction of the British government. Many territories which became British protectorates already had local rulers with whom the Crown negotiated through treaty, acknowledging their status wh ...

by Captain Herbert Gibson of . In 1909, the first

resident magistrate A resident magistrate is a title for magistrates used in certain parts of the world, that were, or are, governed by the British. Sometimes abbreviated as RM, it refers to suitably qualified personnel—notably well versed in the law—brought int ...

was appointed to Funafuti; in 1915, Funafuti, along with the rest of the Ellice Islands, were incorporated into the

Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands (GEIC as a colony) in the Pacific Ocean was part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. It was a British protectorate, protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a crown colony, colony until 1 January 1 ...

as a crown colony. In October 1942, during World War II, Funafuti was occupied by American forces to serve as a strategic staging ground for the

Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign was a series of engagements fought from August 1942 to February 1944, in the Pacific War, Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Empire of Japan, Japan. They were the first battl ...

. Over the course of the war, the Americans dredged Funafuti's lagoon harbor and established the atoll's airfield, now known as Funafuti International Airport. In October 1972, Cyclone Bebe struck Funafuti, causing extensive damage; despite this Funafuti was chosen as the administrative capital of the newly founded nation of Tuvalu in 1978. As the capital of Tuvalu, Funafuti is by far the most urbanized atoll in the country, and is the hub of governmental, administrative, and economic activities. The atoll consists of a narrow sweep of land between wide, encircling a large lagoon (''Te Namo'') long and wide. The average depth of the Funafuti lagoon is about . With a surface area of , it is by far the largest lagoon in Tuvalu. The land area of the 33 islets around the atoll of Funafuti totals ; taken together, they constitute less than one percent of the total area of the atoll. Much of Funafuti is less than one meter above sea level, making it highly susceptible to flooding. Projections indicate that by 2050, around half of the land area of Funafuti could be submerged during high tides as a result of rising sea levels, and by 2100, as much as 95% of the land may be flooded regularly. The capital of Tuvalu is sometimes said to be Fongafale or Vaiaku, but, officially, the entire atoll of Funafuti is its capital, since it has a single government that is responsible for the whole atoll.

History

The oral history of Funafuti maintains that its founding ancestor came from the

Samoan Islands The Samoan Islands () are an archipelago covering in the central Pacific Ocean, South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Political geography, Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Samoa, Indep ...

. The name Funafati is derived from the word "Funa", which means "chief" in Samoan. Furthermore, the name of one of the islets, Funafala, means "the

pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with about 578 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. Common names include pandan, screw palm and screw pine. The genus is classified ...

of Funa." Arent Schuyler de Peyster, captain of the armed

brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Ol ...

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

vessel ''Rebecca'', was one of the first recorded non-Polynesian visitors to Funafuti. His vessel sailed under British colors, and in May 1819, de Peyster passed through the southern waters of Tuvalu and sighted Funafuti. He named it Ellice Island, after Edward Ellice, an English politician and member of parliament for Coventry. In 1841, 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 ...

, led by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

, visited Funafuti. The United States claimed Funafuti, along with based on the 1856 Guano Islands Act, and maintained this claim until 1983, when a treaty of friendship, concluded in 1979, went into effect. In the 1850s, John (Jack) O'Brien became the first European to settle in Tuvalu. He became a trader on Funafuti and married Salai, the daughter of Funafuti's paramount chief; with his family name continuing on Funafuti. Alfred Restieaux, a native of England, lived and worked as a trader on Funafuti from July 1881 until about 1888 or 1889. In 1882, members of the US Fish Commission visited Funafuti on the ''USFC Albatross'' to investigate the formation of coral reefs on Pacific

s. During that visit, Harry Clifford Fassett, the captain's clerk and a photographer, took pictures of people, communities, and scenery in Funafuti. George Westbrook, a trader based in Funafuti, recorded a

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

that struck Funafuti on 23–24 December 1883. At the time the cyclone struck, he was the lone inhabitant of Fongafale, Funafuti's largest islet, because Tema, a Samoan missionary, had taken everyone else to Funafala to work on erecting a church. The cyclone destroyed the buildings in Fongafale, including the church and the trading stores belonging to George Westbrook and Alfred Restieaux. Despite this, rebuilding work instantly began at Fongafale. In 1892, Captain Edward Davis of provided a report describing the traders and trading activities he observed on each of the islands he visited. Davis identified Jack O'Brien as a trader on Funafuti, and O’Brien was also reported to be living on the atoll in 1896. In 1894 Count Rudolph Festetics de Tolna, his wife Eila (née Haggin), and her daughter Blanche Haggin visited Funafuti aboard the yacht ''Le Tolna''. The Count spent several days photographing the men and woman of Funafuti. The population of Funafuti during the years 1860 to 1900 is estimated to have been between 280 and 300 people. The Funafuti Post Office opened around 1911. During the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

(World War II) the Ellice Islands were used as a base to prepare for the subsequent seaborn attacks on the Gilbert Islands (

Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...

) that were occupied by Japanese forces. The

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

5th Defense Battalion landed on Funafuti on 2 October 1942; the operation was kept secret until the Japanese discovered it for themselves on 27 March 1943. On Funafuti the islanders were shifted to the smaller islets, to allow the American forces to build an airfield (now Funafuti International Airport), along with a 76-bed hospital and the Naval Base Funafuti port facilities on Fongafale islet. In 1972, Funafuti lay in the path of Cyclone Bebe during the 1972–73 South Pacific cyclone season. Bebe was a pre-season

that hit the Gilbert, Ellice, and

Fiji Fiji, 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 of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

island groups.Bureau of Meteorology (1975) ''Tropical Cyclones in the Northern Australian Regions 1971–1972'' Australian Government Publishing Service The cyclone system was first spotted on 20 October. It intensified and grew in size through 22 October. At about 4 p.m. on Saturday the 21st, sea water bubbled through the coral on the airfield and rose to a height of about . Cyclone Bebe continued to ravage the area through Sunday 22 October. The Ellice Islands Colony's ship ''Moanaraoi'', which was in the lagoon, survived. However, three tuna boats were wrecked. As waves broke over the atoll, five people died: two adults and a 3-month-old child were swept away by waves, and two sailors who had been in the wrecked tuna boats were drowned. Cyclone Bebe also knocked down 90% of the area's houses and trees. The storm surge created a wall of coral rubble along the ocean side of Fongafale and Funafala that was about long, and was about thick at the bottom. The storm surge also destroyed or contaminated the area's sources of fresh drinking water. Tuvalu view

In June 1996, the Funafuti Conservation Area was established along the western rim of the reef, encompassing six islets. It has an area of , containing 20 per cent of the reef area of Funafuti. The land area of the six islets in the conservation area is 8 ha (20 acres). Below is a list of the islets in the conservation area, in order from north to south, with their estimated areas in hectares: * Tepuka Vilivili, 3 * Fualopa, 2 * Fuafatu, 0.2 * Vasafua, 0.5 * Fuakea, 1.5 * Tefala, 1

21st century

Funafuti stands as both a

political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

and environmental symbol of the challenges faced by

small island developing states The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a grouping of developing country, developing countries which are small island country, island countries and small states that tend to share similar sustainable development challenges. These include s ...

(SIDS) in the modern era. Since the turn of the 21st century, Funafuti has been at the forefront of regional and international discourse surrounding climate change, sustainable development, and geopolitical cooperation. This period in its history is shaped by mounting environmental pressures, efforts at

socio-political Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...

resilience, and increasingly vital international partnerships.

Darwin's Drill

The Darwin's Drill project, conducted by the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, r ...

in 1896, 1897, and 1898, involved drilling boreholes on Funafuti to test

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

's theory of coral atoll formation. The expeditions sought evidence of shallow-water organisms deep within the coral structure. Professor Sollas led the 1896 expedition and later published a report on the atoll study. Professor

Edgeworth David Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David (28 January 1858 – 28 August 1934) was a Welsh Australian geologist, Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Antarctic explorer, and military veteran. He was knighted for his role in World War 1. A hou ...

of the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

participated in the 1896 expedition and led the 1897 effort. Photographers on the expeditions recorded people, communities and scenes at Funafuti. The geological significance of Funafuti in testing Darwin's theory was recognized in October 2022 when the

International Union of Geological Sciences The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to global cooperation in the field of geology. As of 2023, it represents more than 1 million geoscientists around the world. About Fo ...

(IUGS) included the atoll in its list of 100 'geological heritage sites' worldwide. Ocean side Funafuti

Funafuti, the capital atoll of Tuvalu, has become a focal point for global discussions on climate change and its impacts on low-lying island nations. With an average elevation of just two meters above sea level, Funafuti faces existential threats from rising sea levels, making it a critical site for understanding the intersection of environmental vulnerability, adaptation efforts, and

international cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Multilateralism is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, an ...

. Tuvalu's vulnerability is underscored by projections indicating that by 2050, half of Funafuti could be submerged during high tides, with up to 95% potentially flooded by 2100. This situation has led to significant environmental challenges, including the contamination of

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

sources and the degradation of agricultural land. In response, the government has initiated several adaptation projects, notably the

Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) was launched in 2017 to meet the challenges to Tuvalu resulting from Climate change in Tuvalu, climate change and sea-level rise affecting the islands of Tuvalu. Tuvalu was the first country in the Pac ...

(TCAP), which aims to protect vulnerable shorelines and reclaim land to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise.

Geography

Islands

There are at least 29 islets in the Funafuti atoll. The largest is Fongafale, followed by Funafala. At least three of these islets are inhabited: Fongafale (the main island) in the east, Funafala in the south, and Amatuku in the north. * Amatuku * Avalau * Falaoigo * Fale Fatu (or ''Falefatu'') * Fatato * Fongafale * Fuafatu * Fuagea * Fualefeke (or ''Fualifeke'') * Fualopa * Funafala * Funamanu * Luamotu * Mateika * Motugie * Motuloa * Mulitefala * Papa Elise (or ''Funangongo'') * Te Afuafou * Te Afualiku * Tefala * Telele * Tengako (peninsula of the island of Fongafale) * Tengasu * Tepuka * Tepuka Vili Vili * Tutanga * Vasafua

Villages

The district of Funafuti comprises nine villages on six islets, with four of the villages located on Fongafale. Many islands only contain one village. Their populations as of the 2012 census are listed below:

Lagoon

The Funafuti atoll's lagoon (''Te Namo'' in Tuvaluan) is 24.5 km (15 miles) long, north to south, and 17.5 km (10 miles) wide, east to west, and has an area of 275 km² (106 sq. mi.), making it by far the largest lagoon in the nation of Tuvalu. It is about deep in some places, but only deep in other places (because it has several submerged rocks and

reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition of sand or wave eros ...

along its bottom, some of which are that close the surface). The deepest basin is in the northern part of the lagoon (the maximum recorded depth is , while the southern part of the lagoon has a very narrow, shallow basin. The Funafuti Conservation Area is located across the lagoon from the main island of Fongafale, and is accessed by boat.

Landmarks

Tausoa Lima Falekaupule is the traditional meeting house on Funafuti. ''Tausoalima'' means "hand of friendship" and ''Falekaupule'' means "traditional island meeting hall." There is the Funafuti Lagoon Hotel, and other guesthouses as well as homes, constructed both in the traditional manner, out of palm fronds, and more recently out of cement blocks. The most prominent building on Funafuti atoll is the ''Fētu'ao Lima'' (Morning Star Church) of the Church of Tuvalu. Other sites of interest are the remains of Japanese aircraft that crashed on Funafuti during World War II. The airfield was constructed during World War II by American troops for the Pacific Theater. After the war, it was adapted to serve as the Funafuti International Airport, which serves both as the airstrip for the flights from

as well as providing a place for sporting and other recreational activities. Main street of Funafuti

A major sporting event is the "Independence Day Sports Festival", held annually at Fongafale on 1 October. The most important sports event within the country is arguably the Tuvalu Games, which are held yearly since 2008, with teams coming to Funafuti from the outer islands to compete in the games. Football in Tuvalu is played at club and national team level. The Tuvalu national football team trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground on Funafuti and competes in the Pacific Games and South Pacific Games. The

Parliament of Tuvalu The Parliament of Tuvalu (called ''Fale i Fono'' in Tuvaluan language, Tuvaluan, or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'') is the unicameral parliament, unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the ''Vaiaku man ...

or ''Palamene o Tuvalu'' is located on Fongafale, together with the offices of the government departments and the government agencies, including the

Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC) is a state-owned enterprise of Tuvalu, which provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the islands of Tuvalu. Each island in Tuvalu relies on TTC for the use of a satellite ...

, National Bank of Tuvalu, Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau,

Tuvalu Meteorological Service The Tuvalu Meteorological Service (TMS) is the principal meteorological observatory of Tuvalu and is responsible for providing weather services to the islands of Tuvalu. A meteorological office was established on Funafuti at the time the islands of ...

, Tuvalu National Library and Archives and the Tuvalu Media Department that operates ''Radio Tuvalu''. The police service has its headquarters and the jail on Fongafale. The High Court of Tuvalu is also located on Fongafale. The Princess Margaret Hospital, the only hospital in Tuvalu, is located on Fongafale. The installed PV capacity in Funafuti in 2020 was 735 kW compared to 1800 kW of diesel (16% penetration).

Climate

Funafuti has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Af''). Because it experiences frequent cyclones, it is not considered to have an equatorial climate. It sees an extraordinary amount of rainfall throughout the year, being the fourth-wettest national capital in the world behind

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

Freetown Freetown () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, e ...

and

Conakry Conakry ( , ; ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its population as of the 2014 Guinea census was 1,660,973. The current population of C ...

. Unlike those

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

n capitals, Funafuti has no

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...

: the town has no month in which less than rain falls, and an average of about of precipitation annually. As is common in many areas with a tropical rainforest climate, the temperature varies little during the year; average daily temperatures hover around year-round. When comparing seasonal weathers, summer (December to February) is the wettest season, while winter (June to August) is the driest season. Autumn (March to May) is the “hottest” season, and summer is the “coldest” season. However, autumn averages are only 0.3 degrees Celsius hotter than summer averages.

Transportation

Funafuti International Airport is located on Fongafale.

Fiji Airways Fiji Airways, formerly Air Pacific, is the flag carrier of Fiji. It operates international services from its hubs in Fiji to 27 destinations, and has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners, includi ...

, the owner of Fiji Airlines (trading as Fiji Link) operates air transport services three times per week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) between

Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...

and Funafuti. The flights originate in

Nadi Nadi (, ) is the second-largest city in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 59,707 at the most recent census, in 2017. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Asians, India ...

, and use

ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 pa ...

-600 aircraft, which can carry up to 68 passengers. Fongafale has port facilities and two passenger/cargo ships, ''Nivaga III'' and ''Manu Folau'', which make roundtrips between Fongafale and the outer islands about once every three or four weeks, and also travel between

, Fiji, and Funafuti about three or four times a year. In 2015 the Japanese government donated the ''Nivaga III'', to Tuvalu, to replace the ''Nivaga II'', which had served Tuvalu since 1989.

Local attractions

* Funafuti Conservation Area: This area is renowned for its marine life, including vibrant coral reefs, fish, turtles, and clams. It's a spot for snorkeling and diving. * Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau: This bureau offers a wide range of Tuvaluan stamps and other

philatelic Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. While closely associated with stamp collecting and the study of postage, it is possibl ...

items. * David's Drill: This historic site marks the location where scientists conducted experimental drilling in the late 1800s to test

's theory of

formation. * Tuvalu National Library: A place to explore a collection of

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

s and learn more about Tuvalu's

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

. * Church of Tuvalu: The state church of Tuvalu, which plays a role in the country's national events and cultural practices. * Tuvalu Women's Handicraft Centre: Famous for locally made handicrafts, perfect for souvenirs and gifts.

Politics

The Funafuti Falekaupule is the local council, with the Kaupule as the executive of the Falekaupule. On Fongafale, the Funafuti Kaupule is responsible for approvals of the construction of houses or extension to an existing buildings on private land and the Lands Management Committee is the responsible authority in relation to lands leased by Government. Funafuti is one of the eight constituencies in Tuvalu, and elects two members of

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. The 2024 general election in Tuvalu resulted in the re-election of Simon Kofe, the election of

Tuafafa Latasi Tuafafa Latasi is a Tuvaluan politician. Civil service career He was employed in the civil service of the Republic of Nauru from 9 January 1997 as the Chief Accountant. On 19 January 2001, he was appointed to the post of Secretary for Finance ...

, and the defeat of incumbent

Kausea Natano Kausea Natano (born 5 July 1957) is a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 19 September 2019 to 26 February 2024. He represented Funafuti as a Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general electio ...

Education

Four tertiary institutions on Funafuti offer technical and vocational courses: Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute (TMTI), Tuvalu Atoll Science Technology Training Institute (TASTII), Australian Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) and

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...

(USP) Extension Centre. There are two junior schools, the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School and Nauti Primary School, which, combined, have a register of more than 900 pupils. This makes it the largest primary school in Tuvalu (with 45 per cent of the total primary school enrollment). The Church of Tuvalu operates Fetuvalu Secondary School. The

(USP) Extension Centre on Funafuti operates the Augmented Foundation Programme for sixth form students who pass their Pacific Secondary School Certificate (PSSC) so that students have the opportunity to enroll in tertiary education programmes outside of Tuvalu. The Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute (TMTI) is located on the islet of Amatuku.

Notable people

* Sir Toaripi Lauti, (28 November 1928 – 25 May 2014): first Chief Minister of the Ellice Islands (from 2 October 1975 to 1 October 1978); first Prime Minister of Tuvalu (from 1 October 1978 to 8 September 1981); third Governor General of Tuvalu (from 1 October 1990 to 1 December 1993). * Sir Kamuta Latasi, (born 1936): fourth Prime Minister of Tuvalu (from 1993 to 1996); Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu (2006 to September 2010, and December 2010 to March 2014). *

(born 5 July 1957) was the 13th Prime Minister of Tuvalu (from 19 September 2019 to 26 February 2024). He represented Funafuti as a Member of Parliament from the 2002 Tuvaluan general election until the

2024 Tuvaluan general election General elections were held in Tuvalu on 26 January 2024. There are no political parties in Tuvalu and all candidates run as independents. Two major issues in the election were the Falepili Union treaty, which requiries both Tuvalu and Aust ...

References

{{authority control Atolls of Tuvalu Capitals in Oceania Pacific islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act Former disputed islands First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites