Funafuti, Tuvalu

🇹🇻 Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres (66 and 1,312 feet) wide, encircling a large lagoon (Te Namo) 18 km (11 miles) long and 14 km (9 miles) wide. The average depth of the Funafuti lagoon is about 20 fathoms (36.5 metres or 120 feet). With a surface area of 275 square km (106.2 sq mi), it is by far the largest lagoon in Tuvalu. The land area of the 33 islets around the atoll of Funafuti totals 2.4 square km (0.9 sq mi); taken together, they constitute less than one percent of the total area of the atoll. Cargo ships can enter Funafuti's lagoon and dock at the port facilities on Fongafale.

The capital of Tuvalu is sometimes said to be Fongafale or Vaiaku, but, officially, the entire atoll of Funafuti is its capital, since it has a single government that is responsible for the whole atoll.

Fongafale The largest island is Fongafale. The island houses four villages and community meeting places. The Funafuti Falekaupule is the local council, with the Kaupule as the executive of the Falekaupule. On Fongafale, the Funafuti Kaupule is responsible for approvals of the construction of houses or extension to an existing buildings on private land and the Lands Management Committee is the responsible authority in relation to lands leased by Government. The installed PV capacity in Funafuti in 2020 was 735 kW compared to 1,800 kW of diesel (16% penetration).

Tausoa Lima Falekaupule is the traditional meeting house on Funafuti. Tausoalima means "hand of friendship" and Falekaupule means "traditional island meeting hall". There is the Funafuti Lagoon Hotel, and other guesthouses as well as homes, constructed both in the traditional manner, out of palm fronds, and more recently out of cement blocks. The most prominent building on Funafuti atoll is the Fētu'ao Lima (Morning Star Church) of the Church of Tuvalu.

Other sites of interest are the remains of Japanese aircraft that crashed on Funafuti during World War II. The airfield was constructed during World War II. It was adapted to serve as the Funafuti International Airport, which serves both as the airstrip for the flights from Fiji as well as providing a place for sporting and other recreational activities.

A major sporting event is the "Independence Day Sports Festival" held annually at Fongafale on 1 October. The most important sports event within the country is arguably the Tuvalu Games, which are held yearly since 2008, with teams coming to Funafuti from the outer islands to compete in the games. Football in Tuvalu is played at club and national team level. The Tuvalu national football team trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground on Funafuti and competes in the Pacific Games and South Pacific Games.

The Parliament of Tuvalu or Palamene o Tuvalu is located on Fongafale, together with the offices of the government departments and the government agencies, including the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation, National Bank of Tuvalu, Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau, Tuvalu Meteorological Service, Tuvalu National Library and Archives and the Tuvalu Media Department that operates Radio Tuvalu. The police service has its headquarters and the jail on Fongafale. The High Court of Tuvalu is also located on Fongafale.

The Princess Margaret Hospital, the only hospital in Tuvalu, is located on Fongafale.

Villages Below is a list of the individual villages of the atoll, by islet: Central Fongafale islet • Fakaifou; • Senala; • Alapi; • Vaiaku; Additional Fongafale islets; Islets off the Tengako peninsula in the north: • Lofeagai; • Teone; • Tekavatoetoe; Funafala • Funafala; Amatuku • Amatuku:.

Marine Conservation Area In June 1996, the Funafuti Conservation Area was established along the western rim of the reef, encompassing six islets. It has an area of 33 km² (12 square miles), containing 20 per cent of the reef area of Funafuti. The land area of the six islets in the conservation area is 8 ha (20 acres). Below is a list of the islets in the conservation area, in order from north to south : • Tepuka Vilivili, 3 hectares; • Fualopa, 2 hectares; • Fuafatu, 0.2 hectares; • Vasafua, 0.5 hectares; • Fuakea, 1.5 hectares; • Tefala, 1 hectare.

The Funafuti Conservation Area is located 15 km (9.3 mi) across the lagoon from the main island of Fongafale, and is accessed by boat.

Islands There are at least 29 islets in the Funafuti atoll. The largest is Fongafale, followed by Funafala. At least three of these islets are inhabited: Fongafale (the main island) in the east, Funafala in the south, and Amatuku in the north. • Amatuku • Avalau • Falaoigo • Fale Fatu (or Falefatu) • Fatato • Fongafale • Fuafatu • Fuagea • Fualefeke (or Fualifeke) • Fualopa • Funafala • Funamanu • Luamotu • Mateika • Motugie • Motuloa • Mulitefala • Papa Elise (or Funangongo) • Te Afuafou • Te Afualiku • Tefala • Telele • Tengako (peninsula of the island of Fongafale) • Tengasu • Tepuka • Tepuka Vili Vili • Tutanga • Vasafua.

Passages The atoll has several passages leading into its lagoon. The degree to which they are navigable varies. The passes are listed below, in roughly clockwise order, starting in the south, with Fongafale islet. The first two islets on the list are in the southern part of the Funafuti Atoll. • Te Ava Pua Pua is the shallowest of the passages, 12.7 metres (7 fathoms) deep, lies on the south-eastern side of the atoll, and runs between the islets of Funamanu (to the north) and Fale Fatu (to the south). It marks the border between Funafuti's southern and eastern sections. (Variant forms of the name are: Te Ava Puapua, Te Bua Bua, Te Buabua, Te Puapua and Puapua Deep Pass.) • Te Ava Fuagea (also known as Ava Amelia): This deep, narrow passage, 18.3 metres (10 fathoms) deep and 160 metres (525 feet) wide, lies on the south-western side of the atoll, south of the islet of Fuafatu, and runs between the southern part of the atoll (to the west) and the islet of Vasafua (to the south). • Te Ava Papa lies just north of Te Ava Fuagea. • Te Ava Kum Kum lies in the middle of the western rim, south of Te Ava Tepuka Vili, between the islets of Tepuka Vili Vili (to the north) and Fualopa (immediately to the south). • Te Ava Tepuka Vili is a deep and narrow channel between the islets of Tepuka (to the north), and Tepuka Vili Vili (to the south). • Te Ava Tepuka and Te Avua Sari are two neighbouring passages in the north-east, between the islets of Te Afualiku (to the northeast) and Tepuka (to the southwest). • Te Ava i te Lape is the favoured entrance into the lagoon, although it is only 5.8 metres (31⁄4 fathoms) deep and barely 500 metres (1650 feet) wide. It is in the north of the atoll, and runs between the islets of Pava (to the east) and Te Afualiku (to the west).

Lagoon The Funafuti atoll's lagoon (Te Namo in Tuvaluan) is 24.5 km (151⁄4 miles) long, north to south, and 17.5 km (103⁄4 miles) wide, east to west, and has an area of 275 km² (106 sq. mi.), making it by far the largest lagoon in the nation of Tuvalu. It is about 52 metres (28 fathoms) deep in some places, but only 6 metres (31⁄4 fathoms) deep in other places (because it has several submerged rocks and reefs along its bottom, some of which are that close the surface). The deepest basin is in the northern part of the lagoon (the maximum recorded depth is 54.7 metres [fathoms]), while the southern part of the lagoon has a very narrow, shallow basin.