Holonga is a small village in the eastern ( Hahake) district of

Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...

in the kingdom of

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

. It lies between the villages of

Malapo Malapo is a small village in the eastern district of Tongatapu in the kingdom of Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its ...

and Alakifonua. It had a population of 488 in 2016. HolongaTBU

Origin

According to a legendary popular story, Holonga originally got its name from the people of

Pea Pea (''pisum'' in Latin) is a pulse or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species. Peas are eaten as a vegetable. Carl Linnaeus gave the species the scientific name ''Pisum sativum' ...

. They escaped from their hometown after they lost the battle against Nukualofa. Some Pea people ran as far to Malapo and stayed there, some ran and settled at Tatakamotonga and

Vaini Vaini is a district of Tongatapu division, Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scatt ...

. When the rest of the people of Pea still ran, they got tired and weary. They stopped, turned, and hid in the bush. That place was named Holonga. means escaped and means cry. Nickname ( Hingoa Fakatenetene): Tutu'angakava Historic Sites: Fehi'a-kae-afe, Funga Tufukafa, Veikumete, Vaisio'ata

References

{{Coord, -21.192, -175.143, type:city_region:TO, display=title Populated places in Tonga Tongatapu