Qelelevu or Nggelelevu is a

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand 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 ...

, a member of the

Ringgold Isles The Ringgold Isles are an archipelago in Fiji, forming an outlier group to Vanua Levu. The Budd, Nukusemanu, and Heemskercq Reefs form part of the group. The group is mostly uninhabited, but Qelelevu has a small village. In 2008 Pacific rats ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

, which forms an outlier to the northern island of

Vanua Levu Vanua Levu (pronounced , , ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of and a population of 135,961 . Geology Fiji lies in a tectonic ...

Geography

Apart from two nearby coral islets, Tai Ni Beka and Tauraria due west on the same atoll rim, it is from the nearest island, which is '' Vetauua'', to the West. Qelelevu covers an area of . Its maximum elevation is . Qelelevu lagoon lies eastward of Thakau Vuthovutho reef. The lagoon has three main passes allowing boats to enter: Rendell, Deep and Brown. Qelelevu is one of the two only true atolls of Fiji, because it has an island and is not a mere coral reef. Most of the island is covered in palm trees and bushes. The small village of Nalutu () is located on Qelelevu. Fishing is the only significant economic activity. The atoll habitat of the island contributes to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

History

Qelelevu may have been first inhabited by people from Futuna. Later in time, people from Laucala arrived and soon dominated the population. Qelelevu has been in the Laucala sphere of influence, as well as other islands like Naitauba, Namalata, Yacata and villages of Vutuna, Daliconi and Mavana on Vanua Balavu.

References

Islands of Fiji Ringgold Isles Preliminary Register of Sites of National Significance in Fiji {{Fiji-geo-stub