Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

. It lies in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands:

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approxi ...

to the east, and Savai'i to the west. The island has one village settlement, Apolima Tai, with a population of 75 (2006 Census). The small settlement is situated in the interior's flat plateau, on the northern side. Apolima is the rim of an extinct volcanic crater with a maximum height of 165 m. Its area is slightly less than one square kilometer. The only access to the island is by boat. The tiny island lies northwest off the westernmost edge of Upolu Island's

fringing reef A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows dire ...

and southwest of the island of Savai'i. The island's shape is like an upturned bowl surrounded by steep cliffs. There is a broad opening to the sea on the northern side, which is the main entry point. Entry is only by boat. There are two neighbouring islands in the strait,

Manono Island Manono is an island of Samoa, situated in the Apolima Strait between the main islands of Savai'i and Upolu, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu. There are four villages on the island with a total populat ...

, which has a small population, and the smaller, uninhabited islet of Nu'ulopa. Apolima island is part of the political district of Aiga-i-le-Tai. In August 2022 the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment began discussions with local residents about eradicating rats from the island to protect the local environment.

Gallery

Thomas Andrew (1855 - 1939)"> File:Entrance.to.Apolima.left.side.Thomas Andrew photo.jpg, Entrance to Apolima, ''left side'' File:Apolima.village,Apolima.Island.circa 1890-1910.jpg, Apolima village, circa 1890 - 1910 File:Interior.of.Apolima.Island.Andrew.Thomas 1904.jpg, Interior of the island, 1904

References

Islands of Samoa Aiga-i-le-Tai {{Samoa-geo-stub

Gallery

See also

References