Vaitupu
Encyclopedia
Vaitupu is an atoll
, which is part of the nation of Tuvalu
.
Vaitupu, the largest atoll
of Tuvalu
is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. The capital is Asau.
, the founder of the Vaitupuan community was a Samoa
n by the name of Telematua, who arrived in the 16th or 17th century. However, it is possible that Tonga
ns may have first reached the atoll during the mid-13th century. Vaitupu has maintained contacts with Tonga throughout its history, both peaceful (marriage alliances) and hostile (visits by Tongan slave-seekers). Vaitupu was also visited by I-Kiribati
, and was thus far from isolated.
Obed Starbuck
, a whaling captain, visited Vaitupu on the Loper in 1825, naming it 'Tracy Island’. The United States Exploring Expedition
under Charles Wilkes visited Vaitupu in 1841.
Samoan pastors from the London Missionary Society
successfully introduced Christianity
in the 1860s. The pastors implemented religious regulations, outlawing many customary practices. They also introduced the Samoan language
, as their Bible
s were written in Samoan. Vaitupuans became literate in Samoan rather than in their own language.
The population of Vaitupu from 1860-1900 is estimated to be 400 people. Vaitupu is home to the second-largest population in Tuvalu
, numbering 1,591 (2002 Census). 600 students from ages 13 and 21 are sent here from throughout the archipelago
to attend the country's only secondary school
, Motufoua. Despite its relatively large size, the island became so overcrowded during the 1940s that several families migrated to Fiji
to live on Kioa
Island.
There used to be a primary school called Elisefou (New Ellice) on Vaitupu. The school moved to Vaitupu in 1923 and closed in 1953. Its first Headmaster, D. G. Kennedy, was a known disciplinarian who would not hesitate to discipline his students. The two most famous Tuvaluan
from the school were Tuvalu's first Governor General, Sir Penitala Teo, his first Prime Minister, Toaripi Lauti.
Motufoua school, the secondary school on Vaitupu was established in 1905. Vaitupu received worldwide attention in 2000, when a fire in a dormitory at the Motufoua school killed 18 girls and an adult supervisor. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a student using a candle to read during the night. The late Prime Minister Ionatana Ionatana
declared a national tragedy and quickly travelled to the island to witness the aftermath.
In 2010 the largest diesel-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid electricity system in the South Pacific was installed at Motufoua school. Prior to the instalment of the system the school relied upon a diesel powered generator, which needed to be turned off during the night. The hybrid system systems saves thousands of dollars in diesel costs and provides the school with a 24-hour supply of energy, with up to 200 kW per day.
and a large lagoon
.
. There is a church, Tolise Primary School, at least one guesthouse and a post office.
The small Islet of Temoto in Loto Lagoon is home to a single family of 13 headed by the English born writer Lewis Wade.
. There are paths. In the village there is a guest house.
has served as Minister of Communications and Works in the Government of Tuvalu since 2006. He represents Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu
.
Apisai Ielemia
has served as Prime Minister of Tuvalu
since 2006. He represents Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu
.
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, which is part of the nation of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
.
Vaitupu, the largest atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. The capital is Asau.
History
The exact date of Vaitupu's first settlement is unknown. According to oral historyOral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, the founder of the Vaitupuan community was a Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n by the name of Telematua, who arrived in the 16th or 17th century. However, it is possible that Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
ns may have first reached the atoll during the mid-13th century. Vaitupu has maintained contacts with Tonga throughout its history, both peaceful (marriage alliances) and hostile (visits by Tongan slave-seekers). Vaitupu was also visited by I-Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, and was thus far from isolated.
Obed Starbuck
Starbuck (whaling family)
The Starbuck family were a group of whalers operating out of Nantucket, Massachusetts from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Some members of the family gained wider exposure due to their discovery of various islands in the Pacific Ocean....
, a whaling captain, visited Vaitupu on the Loper in 1825, naming it 'Tracy Island’. The United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
under Charles Wilkes visited Vaitupu in 1841.
Samoan pastors from the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
successfully introduced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in the 1860s. The pastors implemented religious regulations, outlawing many customary practices. They also introduced the Samoan language
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
, as their Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s were written in Samoan. Vaitupuans became literate in Samoan rather than in their own language.
The population of Vaitupu from 1860-1900 is estimated to be 400 people. Vaitupu is home to the second-largest population in Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, numbering 1,591 (2002 Census). 600 students from ages 13 and 21 are sent here from throughout the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
to attend the country's only secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, Motufoua. Despite its relatively large size, the island became so overcrowded during the 1940s that several families migrated to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
to live on Kioa
Kioa
Kioa is an island in Fiji, an outlier to Vanua Levu, one of Fiji's two main islands. Situated opposite Buca Bay, Kioa is a freehold by settlers from Tuvalu, who came between 1947 and 1983...
Island.
There used to be a primary school called Elisefou (New Ellice) on Vaitupu. The school moved to Vaitupu in 1923 and closed in 1953. Its first Headmaster, D. G. Kennedy, was a known disciplinarian who would not hesitate to discipline his students. The two most famous Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan can mean:* an Austronesian language, spoken in Tuvalu, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru and New Zealand; see Tuvaluan language,* something to do with the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu; see Tuvalu* the people of this country; see Tuvaluan people...
from the school were Tuvalu's first Governor General, Sir Penitala Teo, his first Prime Minister, Toaripi Lauti.
Motufoua school, the secondary school on Vaitupu was established in 1905. Vaitupu received worldwide attention in 2000, when a fire in a dormitory at the Motufoua school killed 18 girls and an adult supervisor. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a student using a candle to read during the night. The late Prime Minister Ionatana Ionatana
Ionatana Ionatana
Ionatana Ionatana, CVO, OBE , was a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from April 27, 1999, to December 8, 2000.-Background:...
declared a national tragedy and quickly travelled to the island to witness the aftermath.
In 2010 the largest diesel-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid electricity system in the South Pacific was installed at Motufoua school. Prior to the instalment of the system the school relied upon a diesel powered generator, which needed to be turned off during the night. The hybrid system systems saves thousands of dollars in diesel costs and provides the school with a 24-hour supply of energy, with up to 200 kW per day.
All
The island, which covers approximately 5.6 square kilometers, includes swamps, mangroves, a fringing coral reefCoral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
and a large lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
.
Islands
Vaitupu atoll consists of at least 9 isles, which are:- LuasamotuLuasamotu-References:...
- MosanaIsles of Mosana-References:...
(group of 2) - MotutanifaMotutanifa-References:...
- TemotuTemotu, TuvaluTemotu is an islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu. Temoutu village which has a current population of 52 inhabitants resides on the islet. The distance between Temotu Village and Tuvalu's capital city Funafuti is approximately 82 miles. The average elevation of Temotu Village is 1 meter....
- Te Motu OlepaTe Motu Olepa-References:...
- TofiaTofiaTofia is an islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu....
- Vaitupu proper
- And at least 1 other isle
- There is at least 1 isle inhabited, which is Vaitupu proper.
- The biggest island is of course Vaitupu proper, which is followed by TofiaTofiaTofia is an islet of Vaitupu, Tuvalu....
.
Inhabited
The only village on Vaitupu consists of the neighbourhoods Tumaseu and AsauAsau
Asău is a commune in Bacău County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Apa Asău, Asău, Ciobănuş, Lunca Asău, Păltiniş and Straja....
. There is a church, Tolise Primary School, at least one guesthouse and a post office.
The small Islet of Temoto in Loto Lagoon is home to a single family of 13 headed by the English born writer Lewis Wade.
How to get here, transportation and tourism
Today, Vaitupu can be accessed by either private boat or the government-operated MV Nivaga II at irregular intervals from FunafutiFunafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
. There are paths. In the village there is a guest house.
Notable local person
Taukelina FinikasoTaukelina Finikaso
Taukelina Finikaso is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu.At the 2006 general election, he was elected MP for his home constituency of Vaitupu...
has served as Minister of Communications and Works in the Government of Tuvalu since 2006. He represents Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu
Parliament of Tuvalu
The Parliament of Tuvalu is the unicameral national legislature in Tuvalu.-History and political culture:...
.
Apisai Ielemia
Apisai Ielemia
Apisai Ielemia is a Tuvaluan politician. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2006 to 2010.-Background:...
has served as Prime Minister of Tuvalu
Prime Minister of Tuvalu
The Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is elected by Parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of Parliament can be...
since 2006. He represents Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu
Parliament of Tuvalu
The Parliament of Tuvalu is the unicameral national legislature in Tuvalu.-History and political culture:...
.
See also
- List of cities in Tuvalu
- Islands of TuvaluIslands of TuvaluTuvalu consists of nine separate islands, six of which are atolls. Since an atoll typically consists of several islets, there is a total of more than 124 islands and islets. The three remaining islands are actually atolls, too, but they have a completely closed rim of dry land, with a lagoon that...
- Photographs by Monise Laafai of the centenary celebrations of Motufoua school