Funafala

Ranked 7th in the list of most beautiful historical sites in Tuvalu is Funafala. Funafala is an islet off the coast of Funafuti, Tuvalu, inhabited by five residents and home to a church. Funafala translates to 'the pandanus of Funa,' the name of a chief for whom the tribe was named Funafuti.

During the Pacific War, the bulk of Tuvaluans on Fongafale atoll relocated to Funafala, leaving Fongafale as a base for American soldiers who seized much of Fongafale atoll, including the construction of the airstrip. For the rest of the war, the hospital was relocated to Funafala atoll.

A Cyclone hit Funafuti in 1883, according to George Westbrook, a trader on the island. He was the only resident in Fongafale at the time of the Cyclone because Tema, the Samoan missionary, had transported everyone else to Funafala to work on erecting a church. The chapel and the commerce businesses of George Westbrook and Alfred Restieaux on Fongafale were demolished. Funafala had suffered little damage, so the villagers returned to Fongafale to rebuild.

Location: Funafuti