Ha'apai
 Map of Ha'apai. |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 20°0′S 174°40′W / 20°S 174.667°W |
| Archipelago | Tonga Islands |
| Total islands | 51 |
| Major islands | 17 |
| Area | 109.98 km2 (42.464 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,046 m (3,432 ft) |
| Highest point | Kao |
| Country | |
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Tonga
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| Largest city | Pangai, Lifuka Island |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 7570 (as of 2006) |
| Density | 68.83 /km2 (178.27 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups |
Tongan (majority), European, Chinese, Pacific Islanders. 
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Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavaʻu group to the north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are populated.
Pangai is the administrative capital village of the Ha'apai Group and is located on Lifuka.
[edit] Geography
Ha'apai consists of 51 islands directly beside the Tonga Trench. To the west are a chain of volcanic islands including Kao, the highest point in the kingdom standing at 1,046m. To the west are the coral islands which are inhabited. The archipelago lies between the 200 km north of Tongatapu and 130km south of Vava'u. 17 of the islands are inhabited, including the main islands of Lifuka and Foa. The two main islands in the archipelago are Pangai on Lifuka (where Salote Pilolevu Airport is located) and Ha'ano. A total of 7570 people live on the islands Haapai (Census 2006).
All the larger islands are in the eastern Lifuka group. The two larger islands are Lifuka and Foa which have 2,968 and 1,485 people respectively as of 2006. After the two larger islands are Nomuka and Haʻano which have four villages with a population of 951. To the south of these islands is ʻUiha, which has two villages with a population of 638, ancient burial grounds and an ancient monument.
The large islands of Tofua (active volcano) and Kao (dormant volcano) are in the far west. The islands of the Kotu group, locally known as Lulunga, are in the southwest of the archipelago. The islands of the Nomuka group, locally known as ʻOtu Muʻomuʻa, are further south.
[edit] History
At the Ha'apai island group, traces of settlements of Lapita culture from around 1500 BC have been found.
The first European to visited Ha'apai, was Abel Tasman in 1643. Captain James Cook in 1774 and 1777, made several stops on the islands. He gave them the name of Friendly Islands in 1777. Fletcher Christian arrived on the 28th of April, 1789, Captain William Bligh of the Bounty visited the volcanic island Tofua.
In 1806, William Mariner arrived at the Port-au-Prince to Tonga, whose crew was killed at this occasion by Tongan warriors. Mariner lived 4 years in Tonga, before he was found by a passing English ship returning to England.
[edit] See also
Coordinates: 19°45′S 174°22′W / 19.75°S 174.367°W
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