| Travel Destination Guide - Tuvalu Islands |
TUVALU ISLANDS (Pacific Islands)
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Tuvalu is one of the worlds smallest nations spread over 800 km of ocean and located about 1000km north of Fiji. The seven islands are all tiny coral atolls, no higher than 5 metres high with a fragile eco-system unable to support its growing population.
The government of Tuvalu is so concerned about over population and rising sea levels that it has already purchased land in Fiji (the island of Kioa) and re-settled some of its population and is looking for more land.
With few natural resources, the coconut fronds and pandanus leaves that can grow on the islands are put to use in making some of the finest handicrafts in the Pacific.
The main island of Funafuti has the nations only airport which is served from Fiji. Visas are granted on arrival for one month. Funafuti is a ramshackle place with a litter problem, has a few hotels and guesthouses and is mostly westernised.
The other atolls all retain traditional houses and lifestyles, although boat services to them are unreliable. It is customary to contact the village spokesman before you arrive asking permission and advising your intentions for travel. Camping is prohibited.
The capital of Tuvalu, Funafuti is a tiny coral atoll; the width is only about 20 meters at the narrowest parts, and about 300-400 meters at the widest areas of the island. It has an estimated population of 4,000 and is a low key place.
Tuvaluan culture is steeped in the Polynesian tradition, brought to the islands by Tongans and Samoans in the 14th century AD. Although most Tuvaluans these days are Christian, their adherence to traditional life is still an important and visible ingredient in daily life. Perhaps due to a combination of the Polynesian tradition of respect for family, community and environment and the islands' isolation from the modern world, Tuvalu was named the only nation in the world above reproach for human rights violations by a panel of observers in June 1998. Given the missionary tradition in the Pacific over the last two hundred years, it is surprising that the locals have emerged socially unscathed, but - unlike neighbouring American Samoa and Tonga - Western culture has arrived but not dominated the islands of Tuvalu.
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