Tongoa is an inhabited island in
Shefa Province of
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
in the Pacific Ocean.
[UNEP Islands Directory]
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Geography
Tongoa is the largest island of Shepherd Islands archipelago. The island is heavily vegetated and shows geothermal activity. Tongoa is of recent volcanic origin but currently has no currently active volcano. There are numerous volcanic cone
Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and s ...
s on the island and some black sand beaches. The estimated terrain elevation above the sea level is some 191 metres. There is an airport on the island – Tongoa Airport (TGH).
Flora and fauna
The interior part of the island is dense rain forest. The island is named after the Tongoa plant which grows in the area. Megapode
The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy leg ...
s nest on the island. The only non-human mammals on the island are the Vanuatu flying fox and Tonga leather, or insular flying fox.
Important Bird Area
The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
because it supports populations of Vanuatu megapodes, red-bellied fruit doves, grey-eared honeyeaters, cardinal myzomelas, Melanesian flycatchers, Vanuatu white-eyes and red-headed parrotfinches. The neighbouring islet of Laika to the north has a breeding colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters.
Population
As of 2015, the official local population was 2243 people in 454 households, most of whom moved from Epi, Emae and Makira to Tongoa. There are 14 villages on the island. Some natives speak Makura language (''Na Makura'') and North Efate language (''Na Kanamanga'').
References
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Islands of Vanuatu
Shefa Province
Important Bird Areas of Vanuatu
Seabird colonies