Vaitupu

Vaitupu is the largest atoll in the Tuvaluan archipelago. It's at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees west. There are 1,061 inhabitants (2017 Census) residing on 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 square miles), with Asau serving as the principal village. Between 1860 and 1900, the population of Vaitupu was estimated to be 400 persons. Vaitupu has the second-largest population in Tuvalu, with 1,576 people (2002 Census) and 1,555 people (2010 Census) (2012 census). Despite its size, Vaitupu grew so overcrowded in the 1940s that a number of families relocated to Fiji to settle on Kioa Island.

It is unknown when Vaitupu's first settlement took place. According to oral history, the Vaitupuan village was founded by Telematua, a Samoan who arrived in the 16th or 17th century. Tongans may have arrived on the atoll for the first time in the mid-13th century. Throughout its history, Vaitupu has maintained ties with Tonga, both amicable (alliances through marriage) and hostile (visits by Tongan slave-seekers). Vaitupu was also visited by I-Kiribati, indicating that it was not isolated. Vaitupu is a Hawaiian word that means "the fountain of water."

Location: Tuvalu