Hiw Island
Encyclopedia
Hiw is the northernmost island in Vanuatu
.
in Torba Province
. It is situated east of the Torres Trench, south of Vanikoro
in the Solomon Islands
. It has an area of 51 km2. The highest point is Mount Wonvara (366 m).
Vewoag Point (locally called Ngrë Twome), the northern cape of Hiw, is the northernmost point of land of Vanuatu. 1,6 km north of Hiw is a submerged coral
reef
, Ngwey Gakwe (formerly Recif Giraudeau), over which the waves break.
They are distributed in three villages, all located on the east coast: Yogwye [ˈjɔɰwjə]; Yaqane [jaˈkʷanə]; and the main village Yögevigemëne [ˌjɵɣəˌβiɣəˈmenə], whose name is sometimes shortened to Yugemëne [ˌjʉɣəˈmenə].
The language spoken on the island is also called Hiw
.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
.
Geography
Hiw is the largest island in the Torres IslandsTorres Islands
The Torres Islands are in the Torba Province of Vanuatu, the northernmost island group in the country. The chain of islands that make up this micro-archipelago straddle the broader cultural boundary that distinguishes Island Melanesia from several Polynesian outliers located in the neighbouring...
in Torba Province
Torba Province
Torba is the northernmost province of Vanuatu, including the Banks Islands and the Torres Islands. Its capital is Sola.The modern name Torba is derived from the initial letters of Torres and Banks.-Facts:...
. It is situated east of the Torres Trench, south of Vanikoro
Vanikoro
Vanikoro is an island from the Santa Cruz group, located 118 km to the Southeast of the main Santa Cruz group. It belongs administratively to the Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands....
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. It has an area of 51 km2. The highest point is Mount Wonvara (366 m).
Vewoag Point (locally called Ngrë Twome), the northern cape of Hiw, is the northernmost point of land of Vanuatu. 1,6 km north of Hiw is a submerged coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
, Ngwey Gakwe (formerly Recif Giraudeau), over which the waves break.
Population
Hiw has a population of about 270 inhabitants.They are distributed in three villages, all located on the east coast: Yogwye [ˈjɔɰwjə]; Yaqane [jaˈkʷanə]; and the main village Yögevigemëne [ˌjɵɣəˌβiɣəˈmenə], whose name is sometimes shortened to Yugemëne [ˌjʉɣəˈmenə].
The language spoken on the island is also called Hiw
Hiw language
Hiw is an Oceanic language spoken on Hiw island, in the Torres islands of Vanuatu.It is distinct from Lo-Toga, the other language of the Torres group.-Phonology:Hiw has 9 phonemic vowels...
.