Manono is an
island
An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
of
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
, situated in the
Apolima Strait between the main islands of
Savai'i and
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 approximate ...
, 3.4 km west-northwest off
Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu. By population, as well as by area, it is Samoa’s third largest island.
There are four villages on the island with a total population of 889 (2006 Census). Electricity was only introduced in 1995 and there are several shops with
beach fale accommodation for visitors. The boat trip from Upolu island takes about 20 minutes.
The neighbouring islands are
Apolima, which has a small village settlement and the islet
Nu'ulopa.
Manono Island is part of the political district
Aiga-i-le-Tai
Aiga-i-le-Tai is a districts of Samoa, district of Samoa which includes the small islands of Manono Island, Manono, Apolima and tiny uninhabited Nu'ulopa lying in the Apolima Strait between the country's two main islands of Upolu and Savai'i.
The ...
.
The majority of people in the Aiga-i-le-Tai district live on the 'mainland' at the west end of Upolu island. Dogs of any kind are prohibited on Manono island.
Villages
The four villages and their populations on Manono Island are
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Apai, west (111)
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Faleu, south (354)
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Lepuia'i, southwest (223)
#
Salua, north (201)
Out of the four inhabited islands of Samoa, Manono Island has the third largest population, after the much larger islands of Upolu and Savai'i. There are no cars or roads. The main thoroughfare is a footpath that follows the coast. Dogs and horses are banned for environmental reasons. However, dogs were sighted on the island in September 2016.
In the early 19th century, the island was sometimes called ''Flat Island'', because it consists of a small, flat hill and surrounding low-lying terrain, which is only visible at close approach.
During the 1800s, Manono island was a stronghold for the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
church and its early mission in Samoa. At an annual church meeting here on 21 September 1859, a decision was made to establish a training institution on
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 approximate ...
island which eventually led to the establishment of
Piula Theological College in
Lufilufi
Lufilufi is a historical village situated on the north coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency (''Faipule District'') Anoamaa East which is within the larger political district of Atua. The village's popula ...
.
Neighbouring islands
The other two islands in the Apolima Strait are
Apolima with one small village and the tiny uninhabited island of
Nu'ulopa, which is 700 meters west-northwest of the northwestern corner of Manono. Nu'ulopa is 37 m high and about 100 meters in diameter (0.01 km²).
Gallery
File:View from ferry in Apolima Strait 2009.jpg, Apolima Strait with Apolima island (left) and the tip of Savai'i (right).
File:War Chief of Manono.jpg, A ''matai'', War Chief Matetau of Manono Island, drawn by Alfred Thomas Agate
File:Fale on Manono Island.jpg, Beach fale (''faleo'o'') on Manono.
File:Manono Island.jpg, ''Fale tele'' meeting house on the island, June 2009
See also
*
Archaeology in Samoa
Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957.[Samoa Islands
The Samoan Islands () are an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa and most of Americ ...]
References
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Islands of Samoa
Archaeological sites in Samoa
Aiga-i-le-Tai