island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
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); ...
, situated in the
Apolima Strait
The Apolima Strait is about 13 km wide and separates the two largest islands of Samoa: Savai'i to the northwest, and Upolu to the southeast.
Three small islands lie in the strait. Two of them, Manono and Apolima, have small village settl ...
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 approximate ...
, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu.
There are four villages on the island with a total population of 889 (2006 Census). Electricity was only introduced in 1995 and there are several shops with
beach fale
A beach fale is a simple thatched hut in the architecture of Samoa. Beach fales are also common in other parts of Polynesia. They have become popular in tourism as a low budget accommodation situated by the coast, built with a few posts, no walls ...
accommodation for visitors. The boat trip from Upolu island takes about 20 minutes.
The neighbouring islands are
Apolima
Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of Samoa. It lies in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands: Upolu to the east, and Savai'i to the west.
The island has one village settlement, Apolima Tai, with a ...
, which has a small village settlement and the islet Nu'ulopa.
Manono Island is part of the political district
Aiga-i-le-Tai
Aiga-i-le-Tai is a district of Samoa which includes the small islands of Manono, Apolima and tiny uninhabited Nu'ulopa lying in the Apolima Strait between the country's two main islands of Upolu and Savai'i.
The district includes part of the ma ...
. The majority of people in the Aiga-i-le-Tai district live on the 'mainland' at the west end of Upolu island. Dogs of any kind are prohibited on Manono island.
Villages
The four villages and their populations on Manono Island are
# Apai, west (111)
# Faleu, south (354)
# Lepuia'i, southwest (223)
# Salua, north (201)
Out of the four inhabited islands of Samoa, Manono Island has the third largest population, after the much larger islands of Upolu and Savai'i. There are no cars or roads. The main thoroughfare is a footpath that follows the coast. Dogs and horses are banned for environmental reasons. However, dogs were sighted on the island in September 2016.
In the early 19th century, the island was sometimes called ''Flat Island'', because it consists of a small, flat hill and surrounding low-lying terrain, which is only visible at close approach.
During the 1800s, Manono island was a stronghold for the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
church and its early mission in Samoa. At an annual church meeting held here on 21 September 1859 a decision was made to establish a training institution on
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 approximate ...
Lufilufi
Lufilufi is a historical village situated on the north coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency (''Faipule District'') Anoamaa East which is within the larger political district of Atua. The village's popula ...
.
Neighbouring islands
The other two islands in the Apolima Strait are
Apolima
Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of Samoa. It lies in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands: Upolu to the east, and Savai'i to the west.
The island has one village settlement, Apolima Tai, with a ...
with one small village and the tiny uninhabited island of Nu'ulopa which is 700 meters west-northwest of the northwestern corner of Manono. Nu'ulopa is 37 m high and about 100 meters in diameter (0.01 km²).
Gallery
File:View from ferry in Apolima Strait 2009.jpg,
Apolima Strait
The Apolima Strait is about 13 km wide and separates the two largest islands of Samoa: Savai'i to the northwest, and Upolu to the southeast.
Three small islands lie in the strait. Two of them, Manono and Apolima, have small village settl ...
with
Apolima
Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of Samoa. It lies in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands: Upolu to the east, and Savai'i to the west.
The island has one village settlement, Apolima Tai, with a ...
island (left) and the tip of Savai'i (right).
File:War Chief of Manono.jpg, A ''matai'', War Chief Matetau of Manono Island, drawn by Alfred Thomas Agate
File:Fale on Manono Island.jpg,
Beach fale
A beach fale is a simple thatched hut in the architecture of Samoa. Beach fales are also common in other parts of Polynesia. They have become popular in tourism as a low budget accommodation situated by the coast, built with a few posts, no walls ...
(''faleo'o'') on Manono.
File:Manono Island.jpg, ''Fale tele'' meeting house on the island, June 2009
See also
*
Archaeology in Samoa
Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957.Samoa Islands