Lakeba

Lakeba (pronounced|lakemba) is an island in Fiji's Southern Lau archipelago. Situated at 18.20° South and 178.80° East, it has a land area of 58.9 square kilometers and a total shoreline of 32 kilometers. The island, the tenth largest in Fiji, is volcanic with raised coral. The island, which has a maximum altitude of 219 meters, is characterized by 76 meter-high cliffs. The island is fertile and well watered. It has a population of around 2,100 in eight villages, the most important of which is Tubou. The island is encircled by a 29-kilometer road.

Geography

About 9 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide, Lakeba resembles an irregular oval shape. The north and north-west coasts are characterized by coral limestone cliffs and caves near the village of Nasaqalau. A reforestation programme has seen the planting of Lakeba's formerly bare hills with pine trees.

The village of Nasaqalau is noted for a number of caves, the most famous being "Oso Nabukete," also known as the Pregnant Women's Cave. According to legend, a woman attempting to hide her pregnancy will not be able to escape through the mouth of the cave. It is adjoined by "Qara Bulu," once used as a prison in times of tribal war. A third cave, "Koro ni Vono," was once used as a place of banishment for tuberculosis patients, who were left there to die. Other notable caves include the Tubou Cave, of interest to geologists.

Culture

Lakeba is known as a chiefly island, being the home island of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan, which is based in Tubou. The head of this clan takes the title of "Tui Nayau", and is the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands. The last "Tui Nayau" was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President and the most durable figure of Fijian politics for more than three decades dying in 2004.

Lakeba lies on a historical faultline between Fiji and Tonga, and Tongan influence is seen in many aspects of Lakeban culture. Lakeban architecture features rounded houses rather than the square-ended ones elsewhere in Fiji. The Lakeban dialect of Fijian also shows considerable Tongan influence. Tongan hymns are popular in "polotu" (an evening church service), and Tongan clothing styles are reflected in the mats tied around the waist on formal occasions. Tongan traditional dances called "lakalaka" are also popular.

The inhabitants of Nasaqalau are famous for the ability of one of their clans to call sharks from the sea. This clan originated in the village of Wainikeli on the island of Taveuni.

Economic activities

Copra production is the most important economic activity on Lakeba. There is also a coconut mill four kilometers outside Tubou. Tourism is of lesser importance in Lakeba than in some other parts of Fiji.

History

Archaeological excavations in the 1990s discovered a massive fortress, built around a thousand years ago. Large enough to house 2,500 people (more than the total population of the island), the fortress is believed to have been built as a bulwark against Tongan invaders.

Enele Ma'afu, a Tongan-Fijian warlord who conquered much of Fiji in the Nineteenth Century is buried in the village of Tubou, as is Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna (1888-1958), Fiji's first modern statesman and Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Mara (1920-2004), Fiji's first prime minister and second president.